THE  PORCUPINE 


EDWIN  ARLINGTON  ROBINSON 


•    • 


THE  PORCUPINE 


BY  THE  SAME  AUTHOR 

POEMS 

Captain  Craig 
The  Children  of  the  Night 
The  Town  Down  the  River 

In  Preparation 
Flammonde,  and  other  Poems 

PLAYS 

Van  Zorn.     A  Comedy  in  three  acts 
The  Porcupine.    A  Drama  in  three  acts 


At  all  Booksellers 


THE   PORCUPINE 


A  DRAMA  IN  THREE  ACTS 


BY 
EDWIN  ARLINGTON  ROBINSON 


THE  MACMILLAN   COMPANY 


All  rights  reserved 


COPYRIGHT,  igi4,  igis 

BY  EDWIN  ARLINGTON  ROBINSON 

Set  up  and  clectrotyped.     Published  September,  1915. 


COPYRIGHT  IN  GREAT  BRITAIN 

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and  Great  Britain.  All  acting  rights,  both  professional  and  amateur,  are  reserved  in 
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year."  U.  S.  Revised  Stat  ates,  Title  60.  CLap.  3. 


To 
LOUIS  V.  LEDOUX 


THE  PORCUPINE 


CHARACTERS 

LARRY  SCAMMON 
ROLLO  BREWSTER 
STUART  HOOVER 
DR.  BEN  BAKER 
RACHEL  Scam  moo 

ALMA  ^carr)iT>oo 
/ 

MRS.  HOOVER 

The  scene  is  laid  in  Tadmor,  a  New  England  milage.    The 
action  covers  a  period  of  three  days. 


ACT  I 

A  comfortably  furnished  room  in  an  old  New  England  house.  In 
the  rear  are  two  windows,  with  brown  shades.  Between  them 
is  an  open  stove,  in  which  bright  coals  are  burning.  Well 
to  the  left  is  a  door  that  opens  into  a  vestibule,  in  the  rear  of 
which  is  another  door  that  opens  on  the  street.  On  the  left, 
not  far  down,  is  a  door  that  opens  into  a  bedroom,  which  is 
now  occupied  by  RACHEL  SCAMMON'S  convalescent  child. 
Opposite,  on  the  right,  is  the  door  of  ROLLO  BREWSTER'S 
study,  and  further  down  on  the  same  side  is  another  door. 
Well  down  in  front  is  a  rather  large  table,  upon  which  are 
papers,  books,  writing  materials,  and  a  large  lamp.  To  the 
left  of  the  table  is  an  old  leather-covered  reading  chair  and 
further  to  the  left  is  an  old-fashioned  rocking  chair.  In  the 
corner,  on  the  right,  is  a  book-case,  and  there  are  several  smalt 
chairs.  The  room  is  dimly  lighted  at  first  by  the  winter  twilight 
outside. 

ALMA  SCAMMON  and  STUART  HOOVER  are  discovered  standing 
near  the  stove — she  to  the  right,  he  to  the  left  of  it.  She  is 
an  attractive  woman,  past  thirty,  rather  pale,  and  possesses 
a  natural  charm  and  vivacity  of  manner  that  has  been  sub 
dued  by  a  secluded  and  unhappy  life  during  her  later  years. 
Her  most  obvious  characteristics  are  her  mobile  features  and 
a  tendency  to  sarcasm  in  her  manner  and  speech.  She  has 
suffered  a  great  deal,  but  she  doesn't  mean  that  anyone  shall 
know  how  much.  STUART  HOOVER  is  a  good-looking  young 
attorney,  a  year  or  two  older  than  ALMA,  with  fine  and  regular 
features  that  do  not  suggest  a  great  deal  of  initiative  force. 
His  voice  and  manner  reveal  too  often  his  disappointment, 
assumed  indifference,  and  occasional  cynicism.  He  is  well 


4  THE  PORCUPINE 

dressed,  and  has  put  on  his  overcoat.  He  holds  in  his  hand 
a  rough  cloth  hat,  which  he  strokes  from  time  to  time  as  he 
talks. 

As  the  curtain  rises,  slow  violin  music  is  heard  from  the  child's 
room  on  the  left,  through  the  closed  'door,  and  it  continues  to 
be  heard  throughout  the  following  scene. 

("Right"  and  "Left"  are  from  the  stage  throughout  the  play) 

ALMA 

[Looking  up  from  the  fire] 
Must  you  go,  Stuart? 

STUART 

[Indifferently] 

Must?  I  don't  know  that  I  must  do  anything — but 
remain  a  misguided  imbecile  for  the  rest  of  my  life. 

ALMA 

[Frowning] 
But,  Stuart, — you  shouldn't  say  such  things  to  me. 

STUART 
I  know  it. 

[Forcing  a  laugh] 

But  you  see,  Alma,  we've  talked  about  the  weather, 
and  about  Rachel,  and  about  the  boy,  and  the  dog,  and 
the  cat.  .  . 

ALMA 
[With  a  sigh] 

But,  Stuart,  can't  you  do  something?  Can't  you  make 
Rollo  change? 


THE  PORCUPINE  5 

[With  energy] 

Ever  since  poor  Larry  came  back,  Rollo  has  been  cruel  to 
him.  .  .  .  And  I  can't  bear  it  much  longer. 

STUART 

[Smiling  thoughtfully] 
"Poor  Larry,"  did  you  say? 

ALMA 

Yes,  I  did.    Is  it  strange  that  I  should  call  him  "Poor 
Larry,"  after  Rollo's  treatment  of  him? 

STUART 
Oh  no,  it  isn't  strange.    Only,  I  was  thinking. 

[He  glances  at  the  study  door} 
Larry  says,  "Poor  Rollo." 

ALMA 

How  much  does  Larry  know? 

STUART 
Oh,  Larry  knows  a  good  deal. 

[Incisively] 

Among  other  things,  he  knows  that  I  threw  myself  away 
ten  years  ago,  and  left  you  where  you  are. 
[She  looks  behind  her] 

Yes,  and  about  Rollo.  Larry  knows  that  Rollo  is  doing 
his  best  to  follow  in  my  tracks:  to  make  himself  the  talk 
of  the  town,  and  to  make  me  more  ridiculous  than  ever. 


6  THE  PORCUPINE 

ALMA 

Stuart! 

[She  looks  towards  the  window  and  scowls] 

Why  did  that  woman  ever  come  to  this  place? 

STUART 

[Stroking  his  hat] 
God  only  knows. 

[Looking  up  at  her] 

Alma,  I  believe  sometimes  that  you  hate  me — for  marrying 
that  woman.  You  may  as  well  tell  me  the  truth  at  last, 
and  let  me  know. 

ALMA 

You  needn't  have  said  that,  Stuart.  For  I  came  to 
understand,  after  a  time,  that  she — your  wife — brought 
something  of  a  world  that  you  and  I  had  never  known — 
something  that  I  could  not  possibly  have  given  you. 

[Rather  drily] 

There  were  her  good  looks  for  one  thing,  and  then  there 
was  her  voice — and  her  singing.  Compared  with  my 
poor  little  croak.  .  .  . 

STUART 

[With  some  venom] 
I  don't  think  you  can  tell  me  anything  about  her  voice. 

ALMA 
Very  well. 

[Seriously] 

But  I  knew  that  you  never  loved  her — really — even  though 
you  did  marry  her.  Perhaps  that  is  the  reason  why  I  for 
gave  you — or  one  of  the  reasons. 


THE  PORCUPINE  7 

STUART 

You  are  good  enough  to  say  that,  but  I  married  her, 
all  the  same.  She  found  out  that  I  had  some  property, 
and  then  she  found  that  she  could  lead  me  wherever  she 
liked  with  her  shape  and  her  face  and  her  ways,  and  her 
infernal  music.  .  .  .  Oh,  but  what's  the  use? 

ALMA 
What  a  fright  I  must  have  been  in  those  days. 

STUART 

Don't  mind  if  I  talk  like  a  fool, — though,  as  I  said  be 
fore,  what's  the  use?  If  it  hadn't  been  for  a  few  thousand 
dollars,  she  would  have  played  for  a  time  with  me,  just 
as  she  is  playing  now  with  Rollo,  and  then  she  would  have 
let  me  go. 

ALMA 

You  mean  by  that,  I  suppose,  that  she  would  have  let 
you  come  back  to  poor  little  frumpy  Me. 

STUART 
I'm  glad  you  can  laugh,  anyhow. 

ALMA 
How  can  I  keep  from  laughing — sometimes? 

STUART 

[Wearily] 

Don't  attempt  it.  Laugh  all  you  can.  Make  every 
body  around  you  laugh.  Make  Rachel  laugh. 


8  THE  PORCUPINE 

ALMA 
Poor  Rachel!   I  wonder  if  she  will  ever  laugh  again. 

STUART 

Probably  not — unless  Larry  makes  her.  That  fiddle 
of  his  might  be  of  some  assistance  if  he  would  only  stick 
to  the  Dead  March  in  Saul. 

[Glancing  at  the  door  behind  him] 

It's  a  good  thing  for  the  boy,  anyhow. 

ALMA 

[As  if  frightened] 

Do  you  know,  Stuart,  that  the  child  seems  to  me  to  care 
more  for  his — his  Uncle  Larry — than  he  does  for  anyone 
in  the  house? 

STUART 

Yes.  And  I  have  thought  that  if  you  were  in  Rachel's 
place,  you  would  go  so  far  as  to  imagine,  at  any  rate,  a 
way  out  of  all  this. 

ALMA 

[Smiling] 
Do  you  know  what  Larry  calls  you? 

STUART 

No,  and  I  don't  care — so  long  as  he  doesn't  call  me  "Poor 
Stuart." 

ALMA 

He  calls  you  Stuart,  the  blind  man. 


THE  PORCUPINE  9 

STUART 

That  must  be  an  easy  thing  for  Larry  to  say.  And  I 
suppose  I  was  only  quoting  Larry  when  I  said  what  I 
did  about  you  and  Rachel. 

[Drily] 

Larry  sees  a  way  out  of  everything — or  he  makes  a  fellow 
think  so. 

ALMA 

[Eagerly] 
What  does  he  say? 

STUART 

Not  much.  He  taps  his  rubber  boots  with  that  ever 
lasting  bamboo  stick  of  his,  and  tells  a  fellow  to  cheer  up. 
I  could  do  as  much  myself,  if  I  had  his  infernal  assurance. 

ALMA 
But  Larry  can't  see  in  the  dark. 

STUART 
Perhaps  he  can. 

ALMA 

I'm  afraid,  Stuart,  that  Larry  has  always  been  too  fond 
of  short  cuts. 

[Smiling] 

You  know  that  he  studied  geometry  once? 

STUART 

[Wearily] 
I  didn't  know  that  Larry  ever  studied  anything. 


10  THE  PORCUPINE 

ALMA 

[Still  smUing] 

He  did;  and  when  he  learned  that  a  straight  line  is  the 
shortest  distance  between  two  points,  he  said  to  me: 
"This  is  all  the  geometry  that  I  shall  ever  need.  You 
may  learn  the  rest  of  it  yourself,  and  teach  it  to  the  Wild 
Man  of  Borneo." 

[The  music  ceases] 
But  Larry  has  stopped  playing.    He  must  be  coming  out. 

STUART 

[Looking  past  her  to  the  study  door,  on  the  right,  which  opens] 

No,  it's  Rollo. 

[Distinctly] 

Rollo  is  coming  out.    How  are  you,  Rollo? 

ROLLO  BREWSTER  enters  from  the  right.  He  is  a  schoolmaster,  a 
few  years  younger  than  Larry,  though  not  so  in  appearance, 
full  blooded,  good  looking,  but  not  in  a  very  pleasant  frame  of 
mind.  His  voice  is  full  and  resonant  and  a  little  hard.  He 
speaks,  even  when  angry,  as  if  with  a  trained  clerical  accent. 
He  is  dressed  in  black,  with  a  frock  coat,  throughout  the  play, 
and  his  manner  is  marked  by  a  singular  lack  of  magnetism. 

ROLLO 

How  are  you,  Stuart? 

[He  looks  at  Stuart  keenly,  moves  toward  the  table,  stops,  and  puts 
his  hand  to  his  head] 

STUART 

[Drily] 
Headache? 


THE  PORCUPINE  II 

ROLLO 

[Carefully] 
Eye-strain. 

STUART 
I  wonder  if  my  eyes  are  strained. 

ROLLO 

[Suspiciously] 
Do  they  trouble  you,  Stuart? 

STUART 
[Distinctly] 
I  have  been  using  them  lately. 

ROLLO 
You  must  be  careful. 

STUART 
Yes.  ...    We  must  all  be  careful. 

ROLLO 

[Disturbed] 
Alma,  don't  you  think  it  is  time  to  light  the  lamp? 

[At  the  table,  as  he  lights  the  lamp] 
What  have  you  and  Stuart  found  to  say  to  each  other? 

ALMA 

Oh,  we  were  trying  to  think  of  a  way  to  make  Rachel 
happy. 


12  THE  PORCUPINE 

ROLLO 

[Unpleasantly] 

Do  you  expect  anyone  to  be  happy  in  this  house  while 
that — that  fellow  is  about  the  place? 

[He  indicates  the  child's  room,  from  which  there  comes  now  a  sound 
of  lively  music  played  softly} 

ALMA 
Do  you  mean  Larry? 

ROLLO 

[Decisively] 

I  do  mean  Larry.  I  mean  that  fellow  who  ran  away 
from  home  ten  years  ago  and  has  now  come  back  a  vaga 
bond.  It  was  he  who  made  his  own  mother  mourn  the 
day  that  he  was  born. 

STUART 

Are  you  sure  of  that,  Rollo?  And  are  you  sure  that  you 
met  him  half-way  when  he  came  back? 

ROLLO 

[Frowning  and  listening  to  the  music] 
Oh,  that  everlasting  riddle! 

ALMA 

But  you  forget  something,  Rollo.  Doctor  Ben  says  that 
Larry  and  his  fiddle  will  do  more  for  the  child  than  all 
the  medicine  that  was  ever  made. 

ROLLO 

Indeed!  Then  Larry  comes  to  us  in  the  character  of  a 
musical  prescription,  does  he? 


THE  PORCUPINE  13 

ALMA 
[Calmly] 
He  comes  to  us,  Rollo,  as  our  brother. 

ROLLO 

Thank  heaven,  he  is  no  brother  of  mine. 

ALMA 

Your  father  married  our  mother. 

ROLLO 

Well,  that  was  not  my  affair,  was  it? 

ALMA 

[Hopelessly] 
No,  Rollo,  that  was  not  your  affair. 

[There  is  a  strained  silence,  broken  only  by  the  fiddle  in  the  next 
room.  Presently  the  music  ends  abruptly,  there  is  a  sound 
of  laughter  as  the  door  at  the  left  opens,  and  LARRY  SCAMMON 
enters.  He  is  well  but  not  heavily  built,  possessing  unusual 
vivacity  and  high  spirits  and  a  chronic  inability  to  take  any 
thing  very  seriously.  He  is  dressed  in  a  nondescript  costume 
consisting  chiefly  of  a  blue  pea-jacket  and  a  pair  of  dingy 
rubber  boots,  into  which  a  pair  of  old  trousers  are  tucked. 
He  has  a  certain  fineness  about  him,  in  spite  of  his  thought 
lessness  and  his  rough  exterior} 

LARRY 

[Tapping  his  boots  with  his  bamboo  stick] 
Hello,  Rollo.    And  how  are  you,  Stuart? 


14  THE  PORCUPINE 

VOICE  OF  CHILD 

[From  next  room] 
Uncle  Larry! 

LARRY 

[Closing  door  behind  him] 

No,  you  little  satrap.    You  mind  your  mother  and  go  to 
sleep. 

[To  ROLLO,  laughing] 

If  I  had  known  that  you  were  listening,  Rollo,  I  should 
have  fiddled  something  classic. 

[To  ALMA] 

Rollo  thinks  my  devilish  taste  in  music  is  going  to  be  the 
damnation  of  us  all. 

ROLLO 

[With  hard  lips] 
We  do  not  always  say  what  we  think. 

LARRY 

That  was  another  good  one,  Rollo,  and  we  must  see 
that  it  doesn't  die. 

[Points  at  him  with  his  stick] 
"One  accent  of  the  Holy  Ghost".  .  .  . 

ROLLO 

May  I  ask  if  you  are  here  to  insult  me?    What  are  you, 
but  a — 

LARRY 

Hush,  my  unnatural  brother.    Hush,  and  reflect.    The 
truth  is,  Rollo,  I'm  a  weaver.    In  fact,  I'm  the  weaver 


THE  PORCUPINE  15 

of  a  silver  cord,  whereby  the  golden  bowl  may  not  suffer 
destruction. 

ROLLO 
Are  you  a  lunatic,  as  well  as  a  vagabond? 

LARRY 

[Pointing  again  at  ROLLO  with  his  stick,  and  intoning] 
Be  careful,  Rollo,  and  remember  the  text: 
"Or  ever  the  silver  cord  be  loosed,  or  the  golden  bowl  be 

broken.  .  .  ." 

[He  shakes  his  head  ominously} 

STUART 
[Laughing] 

Well,  Larry,  if  you  are  going  to  begin  one  of  your  incan 
tations,  I'll  get  out. 

LARRY 
[Turning] 
Are  you  going  home,  Stuart? 

STUART 

[At  the  door,  wearily] 
Sooner  or  later. 

LARRY 

You  are  a  lucky  fellow.    We  don't  all  have  homes  to 
goto. 

STUART 
[Slowly] 

No,  we  don't.  .  .  .    Good  afternoon. 
[He  goes  out] 


16  THE  PORCUPINE 

ROLLO 

Larry,  why  do  you  dress  yourself  like  a  clown,  and  make 
yourself  ridiculous  in  the  sight  of  your  neighbors? 

LARRY 

[Undisturbed] 

Rollo,  why  do  you  carry  yourself  like  an  agent  of  the 
Almighty,  and  prove  your  unfitness  for  the  office  every 
time  you  open  your  mouth?  Furthermore,  will  you  kindly 
tell  me  why  my  neighbors— I  like  "  neighbors  "—persist 
in  making  themselves  ridiculous  before  me? 

ROLLO 

Is  that  to  be  taken  as  a  personal  remark? 

LARRY 

Brothers  may  be  neighbors,  I  suppose. 

ROLLO 

I  beg  your  pardon,  but  you  are  not  my  brother.  I  would 
gladly  have  received  you  as  a  brother;  but  I  could  not, 
and  I  cannot,  overlook  your  wilful  disregard  of  all  the 
dignities  and  decencies  of  Christian  conduct. 

LARRY 

[Whistles] 

You  had  better  be  careful,  Rollo,  for  you  must  remember 
that  I  came  to  you  in  all  becoming  humility,  and  with  no 
wilful  disregard,  as  you  call  it,  of  anything  whatsoever. 
On  the  contrary,  I  gave  you  every  opportunity  to  be  as 
decent  and  as  dignified  as  Marcus  Aurelius, — and  some 
how  you  didn't  quite  rise  to  the  occasion. 


THE  PORCUPINE  17 

ROLLO 

[Wetting  his  lips] 
I  wonder  if  I  can  endure  much  more  of  this. 

ALMA 

[With  a  nervous  laugh] 

I  am  sure  that  /  can't.    You  are  not  in  your  right  mind 
today,  Rollo,  and  you  haven't  been  for  some  time.  .  .  . 

[Quickly] 
Who's  that? 

[There  is  a  light  tap  on  the  door,  which  opens  enough  to  admit 
the  head  and  shoulders  of  MRS.  HOOVER,  who  laughs  as  she 
enters.  She  is  a  pretty  woman,  about  thirty-five  years  old, 
with  a  slight  but  beautiful  figure.  She  wears  a  close-fitting 
dress  of  dark  blue  with  a  waterproof  cloak  and  hood  of  the 
same  color.  She  has  dark  features  and  black  hair] 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[To  the  company,  speaking  with  habitual  rapidity  and  very  much 
at  her  ease] 

How  do  you  do?  .  .  . 

[To  ROLLO] 
Why,  Rollo,  you  look  as  if  you  were  scared — and  angry. 

[To  LARRY] 

Have  you  been  scaring  your  big  brother,  you  bad  Mr. 
Larry?   Alma,  my  dear,  how  are  you? 

[Impersonally] 
I've  lost  my  husband. 

ALMA 

[Not  much  interested] 
Stuart  left  us  only  a  moment  ago. 


18  THE  PORCUPINE 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Laughing] 

I  understand.  He  went  around  the  corner,  down  to 
Doctor  Ben's  office.  To  smoke  pipes,  I  suppose,  and 
heaven  knows  what.  Those  horrible  doctors  do  nothing 
all  day  long  but  smoke  and  drink  and  tell  the  most  awful 
stories.  They  never  cure  anybody  of  anything.  You 
don't  go  to  Dr.  Ben's,  do  you,  Mr.  Larry? 

LARRY 

[Amused] 

I  always  consult  a  physician  when  I  have  alarming 
symptoms. 

MRS.  HOOVER 

Then  if  you  and  Stuart  are  at  all  alike,  he  must  have  an 
alarming  symptom  every  afternoon — at  just  about  this 
time. 

LARRY 

You  should  put  him  in  charge  of  Rollo. 

ROLLO 

[Embarrassed] 

Will  you  excuse  me,  Mrs.  Hoover,  if  I  go  back  to  my 
work? 

MRS.  HOOVER 
Professional  men  are  always  excused. 

[She  removes  her  cloak  and  gives  it  to  LARRY.  Just  as  ROLLO  goes 
out,  the  door  of  the  child's  room  opens  and  RACHEL  enters 
very  quietly.  She  is  dressed  in  dark  brown,  with  white  collar 
and  cuffs,  and  has  at  times  a  friendless  and  almost  fright- 


THE  PORCUPINE  19 

ened  manner.  She  is  not  obviously  beautiful,  but  she  has  a 
striking  face,  usually  very  pale  and  pathetic.  But  her  face 
is  capable  of  easy  illumination,  and  a  certain  suggestion  of 
weariness  that  often  marks  her  whole  manner  does  not  pre 
vent  her  from  revealing  at  times  a  great  deal  of  intensity. 
She  closes  the  door,  watches  ROLLO  as  he  disappears,  and 
comes  to  the  centre  of  the  room] 

MRS.  HOOVER 

And  here  is  Rachel.  .  .  .    You  poor  dear  Rachel,  how 
tired  you  look!  .  .  .    Oh,  but  I  shouldn't  have  said  that! 

[With  mock  contrition] 

Mr.  Larry,  please  take  that  yellow  stick  of  yours  and  beat 
me  as  hard  as  possible  with  it  over  my  two  blue  shoulders. 

[To  ALMA] 

I  promised  myself  that  I  would  never  say  that  to  her 
again. 

[To  RACHEL! 

Forgive  me,  Rachel,  and  make  Mr.  Larry  beat  me  as  hard 
as  ever  he  can.  I  mean  it.  I  deserve  it.  How  is  the  dear 
little  boy? 

RACHEL 

[Giving  Mrs.  HOOVER  a  sharp  look] 
He  is  asleep. 

MRS.  HOOVER 
I'm  glad.    It  will  do  him  good  to  sleep. 

RACHEL 

[Sitting  down  in  the  rocking  chair] 

I  dare  say  it  would  do  the  whole  world  good — if  the 
world  could  have  sleep — and  peace. 


20  THE  PORCUPINE 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Laughing] 
I  don't  agree  with  you  for  one  half  minute. 

RACHEL 
I  suppose  not. 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[With  energy] 

I  should  say  so.  Give  me  a  little  life  and  freedom,  and 
the  world  for  my  own  as  I  like  it,  and  I'll  warrant  you  that 
peace  and  sleep  will  take  care  of  themselves. 

LARRY 

[Amused] 

I  beg  your  pardon,  Mrs.  Hoover,  but  don't  you  think 
the  Powers  might  consider  that  rather  a  large  order  to  be 
sent  to  one  address? 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Promptly] 

I  don't  know.  They  give  as  much  to  some  women. 
Why  shouldn't  they  give  it  to  me? 

LARRY 

[Studying  her] 

Perhaps  you  haven't  asked  them  in  the  right  way.  The 
Powers  are  pretty  particular  sometimes,  and  they  are 
just  a  little  hard  of  hearing.  Perhaps  you  haven't  made 
them  understand  clearly  what  you  want,  and  how  much 
you  are  willing  to  pay.  You  mustn't  be  surprised,  you 
know,  if  the  Powers  exact  a  little  usury  now  and  then,  or 


THE  PORCUPINE  21 

if  they  send  you  from  time  to  time  a  copy  of  their  double 
liability  law,  which  is  printed  in  large  violet  letters.  I 
know,  for  I  have  seen  it  frequently.  The  whole  thing  may 
be  unfair,  from  our  point  of  view,  but  that  doesn't  seem 
to  worry  the  Powers. 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Who  has  listened  half -of ended  and  half-bewildered] 
How  can  you  say  such  things  to  me? 
[Laughing  nervously} 

How  can  you  let  him  say  such  things,  Rachel? 
[RACHEL  pays  no  attention  to  her] 

LARRY 

[Cheerfully] 

You  asked  me  a  question,  and  I  answered  it  as  well  as  I 
could.  I  make  it  one  of  my  rules  to  answer  all  questions 
as  well  as  I  can. 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Laughing 

In  that  case,  you  might  tell  me  how  to  make  the  Powers 
hear  me  from  a  little  wilderness  like  Tadmor. 

RACHEL 

Are  you  coming  to  dislike  this  town,  Louise? 

MRS.  HOOVER 
Does  Mr.  Larry  like  it? 

[To  LARRY] 
Do  you? 


22  THE  PORCUPINE 

LARRY 

Yes,  I  find  it  rather  restful,    And  I  have  been  in  need 
of  rest  for  some  time — for  several  days. 

MRS.  HOOVER 

And  what,  for  heaven's  sake,  is  the  matter  with  you? 
You  look  as  if  you  might  lift  an  elephant. 

LARRY 

Brain-fag — superinduced  by  over-appreciation.    Alma, 
what  the  devil  are  you  laughing  at? 

ALMA 
I  am  laughing  at  you. 

LARRY 

[To  MRS.  HOOVER] 
And  you? 

MRS.  HOOVER 
I  was  laughing  at  your  boots. 

LARRY 
Do  you  like  them? 

MRS.  HOOVER 
I  adore  them. 

LARRY 

And  the  ground  they  walk  on,  perad venture? 

RACHEL 

[From  her  chair] 
What  do  you  silly  people  think  you  are  talking  about? 


THE  PORCUPINE  23 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Patting  RACHEL'S  head] 
You  poor  thing,  we  are  trying  to  make  you  laugh. 

RACHEL 

[With  a  slight  shrug] 
If  you  keep  on,  you  may  succeed. 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Rapidly] 

Rachel,  you  ought  to  be  shaken  to  pieces.  Did  you 
ever  roll  a  hoop  when  you  were  a  child,  or  jump  a  rope, 
without  having  a  nice  dismal  feeling  that  the  twelve 
Apostles  had  their  eyes  on  you  and  didn't  more  than  half 
like  what  you  were  doing?  Now,  did  you? 

RACHEL 

[Patiently] 
You  mean  something  by  what  you  say,  I  suppose. 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[With  a  sharp  laugh] 
Good  Lord — yes! 

ALMA 
She  is  wearing  herself  out  watching  the  child. 

[Going  to  RACHEL] 

You  mustn't  do  it  any  more,  dear,  for  there's  no  need  of  it. 
Doctor  Ben  says  so,  and  he  says  that  all  sorts  of  things 
may  happen  to  you,  if  you  don't  stop. 


24  THE  PORCUPINE 

RACHEL 

[ Taking  her  hand  and  looking  up] 

Thank  you,  Alma,  but  you  can't  quite  put  yourself 
in  my  place. 

[Strokes  her  hand] 

That's  all.    I'll  try  to  be  more  cheerful. 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[To  LARRY] 
Why,  she  almost  laughed ! 

LARRY 

Of  course.    And  she'll  do  it— presently. 

RACHEL 

Ah,  you  foolish  Larry.  I  dare  say  that  I  shall  be  all 
right  again — presently. 

[She  looks  at  LARRY  and  smiles,  as  if  she  pitied  him] 

LARRY 

[Tapping  his  boot-legs] 

Of  course  you  will.  And  I  wish  you  wouldn't  call  me 
foolish,  for  I  give  you  my  word  that  I'm  the  most  serious 
person  in  all  Tadmor.  And  that's  a  devil  of  a  deal  for 
any  man  to  say  of  himself. 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Laughing] 

Rachel,  aren't  you  and  Alma  glad  that  he  has  come 
home  again? 

LARRY 

They  are  glad,  but  they  aren't  half  so  glad  as  Brother 
Rollo  ought  to  be. 


THE  PORCUPINE  25 

RACHEL 

Please  don't  speak  of  Rollo  in  that  light  way,  Larry, 
I  don't  like  it. 

LARRY 

Light?  My  dear  child,  you  discourage  me.  Now  tell 
me  something,  if  you  can.  Could  it  be  possible  for  an 
erring  scion  of  the  house  of  Scammon  to  be  better  equipped 
than  I  am  now  for  the  instigation  of  brotherly  love?  I 
don't  think  so.  But  what  does  Brother  Rollo  do?  He 
tells  me  to  get  out.  And  yet,  I'm  a  human  being;  I  live, 
and  move,  and  have  my  several  uses,  and  add  my  share 
to  the  fabric.  Does  Rollo  do  more  than  that? 

[To  MRS.  HOOVER! 
I  ask  you,  Madam,  does  Rollo  do  more  than  I? 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Bewildered} 
But  I  don't  yet  know  what  you  do. 

LARRY 

Rollo  is  a  teacher,  and  I'm  a — I'm  a  weaver. 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Laughing] 
I  don't  understand  you  this  afternoon. 

LARRY 

[Intoning] 

"Or  ever  the  silver  cord  be  loosed."  .  .  .  Aha!  He 
comes  again. 

[ROLLO  comes  out  of  the  study.    His  face  is  very  serious  and  his 
hair  is  strangely  dishevelled.   LARRY  looks  at  him] 


26  THE  PORCUPINE 

LARRY 

How  are  you,  Rollo?    Your  hair  looks  as  if  it  had  been 
drinking. 

[MRS.  HOOVER  turns  away  and  laughs  to  herself] 
Have  you  finished  that  lecture  you  are  writing? 

ROLLO 
No,  I  have  not  finished  it. 

LARRY 

[Cheerfully} 
No  inspiration? 

ROLLO 
I  think  that  I  will  take  a  short  walk — in  the  open  air. 

[He  puts  his  hand  to  his  head} 

LARRY 

Why  don't  you  walk  down  to  Doctor  Ben's  and  let  him 
give  you  about  three  fingers  of  his  elixir  of  life? 

ALMA 

[Covering  a  forced  yawn} 
It's  nearly  time  for  Doctor  Ben  to  be  here. 

RACHEL 
Hark! 

[The  child  calls  from  the  sick  room  and  she  goes  out  hastily. 
They  watch  her  until  she  disappears,  and  look  at  one  another, 
frowning  doubtfully.  ALMA  goes  out  quietly,  on  the  right, 
while  the  others  are  talking. 


THE  PORCUPINE  27 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[To  LARRY] 
Will  she  never  understand  that  the  child  is  out  of  danger? 

LARRY 

She  will,  unless  I  am  mistaken. 

[To  ROLLO,  with  much  good  humor] 
Well,  Rollo,  will  you  come  for  a  short  walk  with  me? 

ROLLO 

[Solemnly] 
No,  thank  you.   I  have  changed  my  mind. 

LARRY 

[Taking  his  hat  from  the  table] 
You  know  best. 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Laughing] 
Are  you  going  too? 

LARRY 

[Amused] 
For  a  walk. 

MRS.  HOOVER 

I  know  about  that.     You  are  going  down  to  Doctor 
Ben's.    If  I  were  a  man,  I  should  like  to  go  along  with  you. 

[To  ROLLO,  quickly] 
Shouldn't  you? 

[He  gives  her  a  strange  look  that  makes  her  laugh  and  cover  her 
mouth  with  her  fingers.  She  sits  down  and  L^RRY  goes  out 
grinning] 


28  THE  PORCUPINE 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Wiping  her  eyes} 
Won't  you  forgive  me? 

ROLLO 

Louise! 

[He  takes  her  wrist  and  holds  it] 

MRS.  HOOVER 

Good  gracious!  But  you  did  look  so  funny.  .  .  .  Ow! 
You  hurt. 

ROLLO 
Louise! 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Standing  up] 

Lean  forward  a  little  and  let  me  do  something  to  your 
hair,  or  I  shall  have  another  fit.  ...  There!  Before  I 
did  that,  you  looked  as  if  you  were  crazy. 

ROLLO 

[Very  earnestly] 
Did  you  hear  that  call — from  that  room? 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Indifferently] 
Yes,  I  heard  the  child  calling  for  his  mother. 

ROLLO 

[As  before] 

It  was  my  child,  and  I  thought  only  of  you.  And  if  all 
the  children  in  the  United  States  were  to  call  out  now 
together.  .  .  . 


THE  PORCUPINE  29 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[With  a  shrug] 

There  would  be  a  most  horrible  noise.  I  don't  like  to 
think  of  it. 

[Laughing] 

Suppose  we  change  the  subject  and  talk  about  your  brother 
Larry. 

ROLLO 

Please  don't  call  him  my  brother.  And  for  the  love  of 
heaven,  have  the  humanity  to  cease  from  torturing  me  in 
my  own  house. 

MRS.  HOOVER 

Oh!  Is  that  the  way  you  are  going  to  talk  to  me?  And 
are  you  so  sure  that  the  love  of  heaven  is  responsible  for 
what  you  say? 

ROLLO 

Isn't  the  love  of  you  the  love  of  heaven?  Haven't  I 
been  showing  you  and  telling  you  for  the  past  year  what 
you  are  to  me? 

MRS.  HOOVER 

You  haven't  always  been  very  tactful,  if  you  mean  that. 
[Affecting  injury  and  looking  around  the  room] 

You  have  no  right  to  look  at  me  in  that  way,  and  you 
seem  to  forget  that  you  have  three  doors  to  watch.  Be 
sides  you  mustn't  forget  the  lecture  that  you  are  writing. 

[Narrowing  her  eyes] 
Isn't  that  lecture  more  important  than  the  love  of  heaven? 


30  THE  PORCUPINE 

ROLLO 

[With  effort} 

If  you  speak  to  me  like  this,  I  shall  not  be  responsible 
for  what  I  say  or  do.  God  knows  if  I  am  as  it  is. 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Leaning  against  the  table  and  looking  at  him] 
And  this,  you  think,  is  love. 

ROLLO 

Think?    You  might  at  least  be  merciful. 

[With  more  effort] 
Do  you  believe  me  when  I  tell  you  that  I  love  you? 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Laughing  easily] 

I  don't  believe  you  know  anything  about  me — or  much 
about  yourself. 

ROLLO 

[Wiping  his  forehead] 
And  you  say  this  to  me? 

MRS.  HOOVER 

Yes;  and  I  wish  you  would  tell  me — in  the  name  of 
whatever  you  may  choose  to  select — just  what  you  think 
of  us  poor  creatures  who  have  so  much  hair  on  the  tops  of 
our  silly  heads  and  so  little  sense  underneath  it.  Do  you 
suppose  we  are  all  blind — that  we  never  see  anything  at 
all?  Do  you  suppose  that  your  eyes  could  look  just  as 


TEE  PORCUPINE  31 

they  do  now  if  you  really  deceived  yourself  in  regard  to 
all  this  exalted  affection  of  yours?  Love?  Love  of 
heaven? 

[She  laughs  at  him] 

You  ought  to  get  down  on  your  knees  this  minute  and  say 
your  prayers. 

ROLLO 

[Choking] 
Louise! 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Moving  about  nervously] 

Oh,  I  wish  I  had  never  come  to  this  place !  Some  people 
are  born  to  be  unhappy,  I  believe,  and  for  just  nothing 
else.  That  may  sound  selfish  to  you,  and  I  don't  care 
much  if  it  does. 

ROLLO 

[Feebly] 
You  speak  as  if  you  had  had  some  great  sorrow. 

MRS.  HOOVER 

No,  but  I've  been  most  horribly  bored.  If  I  had  had  a 
great  sorrow,  it  might  have  done  me  good. 

[Witk  mild  irony] 
Have  you  ever  had  a  great  sorrow? 

ROLLO 

[Tragically] 

Knowing  what  you  know,  you  ask  me  if  I  have  ever  had 
a  great  sorrow. 


32  THE  PORCUPINE 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Touching  his  arm] 
Why,  you  poor  big  bad  boy,  you  are  trembling  all  over. 

ROLLO 

[As  before] 

You  may  call  it  whatever  you  like,  but  it  will  kill  me  if 
you  do  not  save  me  from  it. 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Drily] 
I  beg  your  pardon,  but  it  will  do  nothing  of  the  kind. 

[Looking  into  his  face] 

Your  eyes  are  not  the  first  that  I  have  ever  seen,  and 
your  voice  is  not  the  first  that  I  have  ever  heard. 

ROLLO 

[Stares  at  her,  hesitates,  and  seizes  her  tightly  in  his  arms] 
Do  you  know  where  you  are? 

[She  nods  indifferently] 

You  are  in  my  arms.  .  .  .    And  you  smile. 
[He  kisses  her] 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Finding  a  way  to  her  face  with  her  handkerchief] 
Yes,  and  if  you  don't  let  me  go  at  once,  I  shall  have  to 
laugh.    I  know  I  shall. 

ROLLO 

[Letting  her  go  slowly] 
What  are  you  trying  to  do  to  me? 


THE  PORCUPINE  33 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[With  emphasis] 

If  you  won't  think  me  too  familiar,  I'll  ask  you  the  same 
question. 

[Demurely] 

Now  you  are  angry  with  me,  and  you  are  thinking  things 
about  me. 

ROLLO 

The  vital  thing  for  me  now  is  not  what  I  think,  but  what 
I  know.  .  .  .  Do  you  know  what  I  know? 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Shaking  her  head] 
No. 

ROLLO 

Then  I  shall  have  to  tell  you.  Don't  speak  to  me  until 
I  have  asked  you  the  question  that  I  have  tried  to  ask 
ever  since  I  have  understood  what  has  happened  to  me.  .  . 
Louise ! 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Nods  slowly] 
Yes. 

ROLLO 

[Seizing  her  wrists] 
Will  you  go  with  me? 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Trying  not  to  laugh] 
Go  where? 


34  THE  PORCUPINE 

ROLLO 

[Still  holding  her] 

To  any  other  place  than  this.  .  .  .  North,  south,  east, 
or  west.  .  .  .  What  have  you  now  to  say  of  love  and 
sorrow?  Do  you  think  I  know  what  they  are  like? 

MRS.  HOOVER 
[Slowly] 

No. 

ROLLO 
[,4s  before] 

For  God's  sake,  then,  do  you  yourself  know  what  love  is 
like? 

MRS.  HOOVER 

I  wonder  if  I  do. 

ROLLO 

[Drawing  her  more  closely  to  him] 
Louise! 

[He  looks  into  her  eyes  for  some  time,  and  releases  her  only  an 
instant  before  LARRY  enters  with  DR.  BEN  BAKER.  ROLLO 
is  embarrassed  and  uncomfortable,  but  MRS.  HOOVER  does 
not  appear  to  be  disturbed.  DR.  BEN  is  thick  set  and  heavy, 
with  a  rough  brown  beard  that  gives  him  a  somewhat  ferocious 
appearance,  and  he  wears  a  large  fur  overcoat.  He  speaks 
in  a  loud,  low  pitched  voice,  with  a  growling  accompaniment 
if  he  is  irritated  or  displeased.  His  eyes  are  bright  and  pierc 
ing,  and  his  manner  suggests  a  man  who  is  thoroughly  genuine 
and  rather  impatient  of  too  much  tact  and  diplomacy.  —  He 
looks  at  ROLLO,  grins,  and  then  looks  at  MRS.  HOOVER] 

MRS.  HOOVER 
Why,  Doctor  Ben,  how  well  you  are  looking. 


THE  PORCUPINE  35 

DR.  BEN 

[Unbuttoning  his  coat] 

I  have  to  be  well.  And  I  suppose  you  know  that  you're 
looking  pretty  fine  yourself  these  days. 

MRS.  HOOVER 

Oh,  go  away.  I've  heard  all  that  before.  Don't  you 
ever  try  to  flatter  a  woman,  for  you'll  only  scare  her  to 
death. 

DR.  BEN 

So  be  it,  if  you  say  so.  But  what's  all  this  about  Rollo's 
having  a  bad  head?  Has  he  been  drinking?  What's  the 
matter  with  you,  Rollo? 

ROLLO 

[Putting  his  hand  to  his  head] 

Merely  a  touch  of  eye-strain,  I  fancy.  But  I  must  go 
back  to  my  work.  Really,  I  must.  Good  afternoon. 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[As  he  walks  away] 
Good  afternoon. 
[She  smiles  to  herself  and  takes  her  wraps  from  the  chair] 

DR.  BEN 
[Smiling] 

But  what's  all  this,  Mrs.  Hoover?    Are  you  going  too? 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Giving  her  wraps  to  LARRY] 

Of  course  I  am.  You  can't  expect  me  to  stay  and  hear 
you  make  fun  of  Rollo. 


36  THE  PORCUPINE 

[Turning  to  right} 
Oh,  is  that  you,  Rachel? 

[RACHEL  enters  from  the  child's  room} 

RACHEL 

[Drily} 
Yes,  are  you  going? 

MRS.  HOOVER 

At  last.  And  you  must  remember  not  to  wear  yourself 
out.  Good-bye,  Mr.  Larry,  and  Doctor  Ben,  and  see  that 
she  doesn't  wear  herself  out. 

[She  goes  out  and  LARRY  closes  the  door  after  her} 

RACHEL 

[With  a  sigh  of  relief] 
O  Ben,  I'm  so  glad  you  have  come. 

DR.  BEN 

[Laying  medicine  case  on  the  table} 

Is  the  boy  all  right?  Let  me  get  out  of  this  linen  duster 
and  I'll  have  a  look  at  him. 

[He  lays  his  fur  overcoat  over  a  chair} 

LARRY 

We'll  all  have  a  look  at  him. 

[He  lays  his  hat  and  stick  on  the  table  and  follows  Dr.  Ben  to  the 
left} 

RACHEL 

[Stopping  him  as  Dr.  Ben  disappears} 
Larry!  .  .  .    Will  you  promise  me  to  be  very  good  to 
the  child — always? 


THE  PORCUPINE  37 

LARRY 

[Shaking  her  affectionately] 

Of  course  I'll  be  good  to  him.    Why  do  you  say  that 
again? 

[He  laughs,  lets  her  go,  and  goes  into  the  child's  room,  closing  the 
door  behind  him] 

[RACHEL,  left  alone,  looks  for  some  time  at  the  closed  door.  Then 
she  goes  furtively  to  the  table,  looks  quickly  around,  seizes 
the  medicine  case,  opens  it,  and  takes  out  a  vial.  She  looks 
at  it  as  if  frightened  and  then  goes  quickly  to  the  book  case 
in  the  right  hand  corner  of  the  room,  stands  up  in  a  chair  and 
hides  the  vial  behind  an  old  leather  covered  book  on  the  top 
shelf.  She  comes  down  again,  closes  the  glass  door,  and 
begins  to  move  slowly  towards  the  child's  room.  When  she 
is  about  six  feet  from  the  door  she  stops,  holds  out  both  arms, 
and  says,  "LARRY!" — in  a  despairing  voice  that  can  just 
be  heard.  She  is  standing  thus  when  Alma  enters  softly 
from  the  right] 

ALMA 

[Coming  in  wonderment  to  the  centre  of  the  room] 
Rachel! 

[RACHEL  turns  about  quickly,  gives  ALMA  a  terrified  look,  and 
says  nothing] 

ALMA 

[In  amazement] 
What  in  the  world  is  the  matter  with  you,  Rachel? 

RACHEL 

[Putting  her  finger  to  her  lips] 
Hush! 


38  THE  PORCUPINE 

ALMA 

[Taking  a  step  nearer] 
But,  Rachel!  .  .  .    What  is  it?    What  has  happened? 

RACHEL 

[Choking] 

Nothing.  ...    I  asked  you  to  be  quiet  because  I 
wanted  to  hear  what  Doctor  Ben  was  saying. 

ALMA 

[Not  convinced] 

But  there  is  no  danger  now,  Rachel.    Everybody  in  this 
house  knows  that. 

[Hesitating 

And  you — you  know  it  yourself. 

RACHEL 

[Strangely] 
Do  you  think  so? 

ALMA 

[Troubled] 
I  don't  know  what  to  think. 

RACHEL 

[After  a  pause,  her  voice  shaking 
Have  you  ever  suspected  anything? 

[Moving  slowly  to  the  right,  towards  ALMA] 

You  needn't  be  afraid  to  answer  me.  .  .  .    No,  you 
needn't  be  afraid— now. 


THE  PORCUPINE  39 

ALMA 

[Slowly] 
Do  you  mean — about  the  child? 

RACHEL 

[Looking  back  over  her  shoulder] 
Yes. 

ALMA 
About — Larry's  child? 

RACHEL 

[Choking] 
Yes. 

ALMA 
You  poor  Rachel! 

RACHEL 

[Sitting  down  wearily] 

No,  Alma;  that  isn't  what  I  need.    I  don't  need  pity. 
I  don't  want  it.  ...     Do  you  see  how  much  I  trust  you? 

ALMA 

Of  course  you  trust  me.    And  I  know  what  it  is  you 
want. 

[RACHEL  looks  up  at  her] 

Larry  is  what  you  want.   Yes,  you  want  Larry,  and  Larry's 
child  wants  his  father. 

RACHEL 

[With  stip pressed  anguish,  after  a  pause] 
Doesn't  Larry  belong  to  me?    Haven't  I  a  right  to  him? 
[A  pause.    Both  women  look  towards  the  child's  room] 


40  THE  PORCUPINE 

ALMA 
Tell  me,  Rachel. 

[Pause] 
Does  Rollo  know  that  Larry's  child  is  in  that  room? 

[RACHEL  holds  ALMA'S  hand] 
Does  Rollo  know  that  he  is  not  the  child's  father? 

RACHEL 

[Calmly] 

If  he  did,  I  don't  know  what  he  would  do  to  me.  Be 
fore  Larry  came  back,  I  shouldn't  have  cared  very  much 
what  Rollo  did  to  me. 

[Her  voice  breaks] 

I  suppose  I  was  mad  when  I  married  Rollo.  And  you  had 
better  think  so  too.  Don't  try  to  say  anything — for  you 
don't  know.  You  don't  know. 

[She  leans  forward  and  covers  her  face  with  her  hands] 

ALMA 

You  poor  Rachel ! 

RACHEL 

[Sitting  up  and  brushing  her  eyes  quickly] 
No,  don't  say  that  again.  I  don't  want  pity.  I  don't 
want  anything  that  I  can  ever  have  again.  Listen  to  me, 
Alma,  and  try  to  understand  what  I  say;  and  whatever 
you  do,  don't  blame  Larry.  It  wasn't  his  fault  that  I 
loved  him  so  much.  He  didn't  even  know  it — perhaps. 
He  was  young,  and  I  was  young,  and  there  was  nothing 
else  in  all  the  world  for  me  but  Larry.  Did  you  ever  hear 
of  women  saying  they  would  cut  their  hands  off  for  men 


THE  PORCUPINE  41 

they  loved?    Well,  I  would  have  done  that — and  I  would 

do  it  still. 

[Pause] 

Why  does  God  make  life  so  hard,  I  wonder,  for  those  who 
mean  to  do  no  harm?  I  did  great  harm  to  Rollo  when  I 
married  him — you  don't  have  to  tell  me  that — but  I  was 
mad  when  I  did  that.  He  wanted  me,  and  I  married 
him,  for  I  was  mad.  I  knew  just  enough  to  be  afraid — 
and  he  wanted  me — and  I  was  mad — mad!  .  .  .  And 
Larry  had  gone  away — and  none  of  us  knew  where  he 
was.  .  .  .  Yes,  Alma,  I  was  mad!  .  .  .  And  I  was 
alone.  ...  I  had  no  father  or  mother — and  I  was  alone 
— alone!  ...  I  was  mad!  .  .  . 

[She  rises  quickly  and  seizes  ALMA'S  arm.    She  speaks  with  in 
creased  emotion] 

But  you  mustn't  blame  Larry,  for  he  didn't  know.  If 
he  had  known,  he  wouldn't  have  gone  away.  He  fought 
with  Rollo's  father — and  that  wasn't  his  fault  either. 
He  forgot  about  me,  I  suppose.  He  didn't  know  how 
much  I  needed  him.  He  didn't  know  that  there  was 
nothing  else  in  all  the  world  for  me  but  Larry.  He  didn't 
know  that  every  night  before  I  went  to  sleep  I  thought  of 
nothing  but  Larry.  He  didn't  know  that  every  morning 
when  I  woke  up  I  thought  of  nothing  but  Larry.  And  then 
there  came  a  time  when  I  didn't  sleep — and  then  it  was 
that  I  seemed  to  go  mad  with  fear.  .  .  .  And  then  I 
married  Rollo. 

ALMA 

[Kissing  RACHEL'S  forehead] 
You  poor,  dear  Rachel ! 

[ALMA  moves  away  towards  the  right,  stopping  to  look  back  as  she 
goes.    ROLLO  comes  out  of  his  study  and  meets  her  when  she 


42  THE  PORCUPINE 

is  within  a  few  steps  of  the  other  door.  They  look  at  each 
other  half  suspiciously  but  say  nothing.  After  ALMA  goes 
out,  ROLLO  stands  looking  at  RACHEL.  He  takes  a  few 
steps  toward  her  and  stops  again  as  LARRY,  followed  by 
DR.  BEN,  comes  out  of  the  child's  room.  RACHEL  sits  down 
again] 

DR.  BEN 

[Taking  medicine  case  from  the  table] 
Well,  Rollo,  how  goes  the  battle? 

[Grinning] 
Headache? 

ROLLO 

[Putting  his  hand  to  his  head} 
Eye-strain. 

DR.  BEN 

The  best  thing  for  you  to  do  will  be  to  take  it  easy  for  a 
while. 

[Opening  case  and  growling 

Hello!    What  the  devil  does  this  mean?    What's  become 
of  my  aconite? 

LARRY 

[Cheerfully] 
You  may  search  me. 

RACHEL 

[Rising  and  speaking  nervously] 

I  think  we  have  some  in  the  house,  Ben, — somewhere — 
if  you  want  it. 

[Frightened] 
Do  you  want  it  now? 


THE  PORCUPINE  43 

DR.  BEN 

[Growling] 

No,  I  don't  want  it.  I  want  to  know  where  it  is.  I 
must  have  left  it  somewhere,  and  that  isn't  my  way  of 
doing  business,  either. 

[He  scratches  his  head,  and  finally  takes  a  vial  from  the  case, 
pouring  from  it  into  a  bottle  that  he  has  brought  with  him  for 
the  sick-room] 

Well,  Rachel,  you  may  keep  on  giving  him  this  stuff, — and 
try,  for  the  good  Lord's  own  sake,  to  keep  from  fretting 
your  delicate  little  gizzard  over  him  any  longer. 

RACHEL 

[Eager  to  get  away] 

Thank  you,  Ben.    Shall  I  give  him  some  of  it  now? 
[She  goes  into  the  child's  room  and  closes  the  door] 

DR.  BEN 

[Rummaging  his  overcoat  as  RACHEL  goes] 
Yes,  if  you  want  to.    It  won't  hurt  him. 

[Lays  down  his  overcoat  on  the  chair  again] 
Well,  that  beats  the  devil  himself. 

[Shuts  medicine  case  and  puts  it  in  overcoat  pocket] 
Rollo,  I  don't  know  that  it's  any  of  my  business,  but  I'm 
going  to  say  something. 

[He  looks  towards  door  of  the  child's  room] 
Has  it  ever  occurred  to  you  that  the  women  in  this  house 
aren't  just  what  they  ought  to  be — in  all  ways? 

ROLLO 

Are  there  better  women  in  the  world? 


44  THE  PORCUPINE 

DR.  BEN 

[Getting  into  his  fur  coat} 

Probably  not.  Oh,  no, — their  souls  are  all  right.  They'll 
go  to  heaven  fast  enough.  The  trick  is  to  keep  'em  from 
getting  there  a  little  too  soon. 

ROLLO 

[Puzzled] 
Do  you  believe,  then,  that  Rachel  is  in  real  danger? 

DR.  BEN 

[Biting  a  cigar] 
Rachel  isn't  the  only  one  to  be  considered. 

ROLLO 

[Frowning  doubtfully] 
Do  you  mean  Alma? 

DR.  BEN 

[About  to  scratch  a  match] 
Do  I  smoke  in  this  room? 

ROLLO 

[Impatiently] 
Yes,  yes,  if  you  care  to. 

[Pause] 

Do  you  know,  Ben,  that  I  have  sometimes  asked  myself 
just  what  is  the  matter  with  Alma? 

DR.  BEN 

[Half  way  to  the  door] 

Well,  Rollo,  asking  yourself  is  better  than  not  asking 
anybody,  and  it  may  do  a  whole  lot  of  good. 


THE  PORCUPINE  45 

ROLLO 

[Slowly] 
Perhaps  she  needs  a  change  of  air. 

DR.  BEN 

[Blowing  an  upward  cloud  of  smoke] 
Yes,  that's  what  she  needs — a  change  of  air. 

[He  sighs  heavily] 

And  now  I'll  take  a  ride  to  the  edge  of  the  county  and  have 
a  look  at  old  man  McGillicuddy's  foot. 

LARRY 

Chick  McGillicuddy?    Is  he  still  alive?    When  do  you 
expect  to  get  your  pay? 

DR.  BEN 

[Putting  on  his  gloves] 
Never. 

LARRY 

[As  Dr.  Ben  is  going  out] 
I  say,  Ben,  you  might  send  McGillicuddy's  bill  to  me. 

DR.  BEN 

[With  a  short  laugh] 
All  right.    I'll  do  it.  [ExiL 

[ROLLO  sits  down  at  the  table  and  pretends  to  read  a  newspaper. 
LARRY  watches  him  and  smiles] 

LARRY 

There's  nothing  in  it,  Rollo,  and  the  print  isn't  very  good. 

[ROLLO  looks  up,  scowling] 
I  was  thinking  of  your  eyes. 

[ROLLO  puts  back  the  paper  slowly  and  looks  at  LARRY] 


46  THE  PORCUPINE 

ROLLO 
[Coldly] 

You  may  be  right. 

LARRY 
Doctor  Ben  is  rather  a  good  sort,  Rollo,  in  some  ways. 

ROLLO 

For  a  creature  of  instinct,  yes. 

LARRY 

Hum!  So  the  mercury  is  falling  again.  Why  do  you 
let  it  fall,  Rollo? 

ROLLO 

It  seems  to  me  that  you  require  a  great  deal  of  ex 
planation. 

LARRY 

[Tapping  his  boots] 

Which  means,  I  suppose,  that  you  don't  like  my  coming 
here  to  be  fed.  Well,  Rollo,  if  that's  what's  troubling 
you,  let  me  tell  you  that  I  have  come  back  for  reasons 
that  are  different  from  any  that  you  seem  to  have  in 
vented.  For  I  came  back  in  the  hope  of  being  of  some 
definite  service  to  you,  and  incidentally  to  find  out  what 
friends  I  might  have  left  in  Tadmor.  Now  you  know 
pretty  well  who  my  friends  are,  and  you  know  that  you 
are  not  one  of  them. 

[ROLLO  stands  up,  and  puts  his  hands  to  his  head] 
Not  yet,  I  mean. 

[Very  distinctly] 

And  you  may  know  also,  or  you  may  not  know,  that  you 
are  the  talk  of  the  town. 


THE  PORCUPINE  47 

ROLLO 

[Glares  at  LARRY  and  goes  to  the  door] 
Will  you  kindly  leave  this  house? 

[Throws  the  door  open] 
Do  you  hear  me? 

[More  loudly] 

I  ask  you  to  get  out  of  this  house  and  out  of  my  sight. 
If  you  are  in  want,  I  will  give  you  money  to  buy  food  and 
clothing,  but  never  again  in  this  house. 

[RACHEL  appears  suddenly  from  the  child's  room  and  stands 
looking  in  a  frightened  way  at  the  two  men.  LARRY  stands 
near  the  rocking  chair] 

RACHEL 

[Trembling 
Was  that  your  voice,  Rollo? 

ROLLO 

[Angrily] 
It  was. 

RACHEL 

[Trembling] 
You — you  told  Larry  to  go! 

ROLLO 

This  is  none  of  your  affair,  Rachel,  and  you  will  please 
go  back  to  that  room. 

RACHEL 

[Still  trembling 
You  told  Larry  to  go! 


48  THE  PORCUPINE 

ROLLO 

I  did,  and  I  must  ask  you  again  to  do  the  same. 
[He  moves  towards  her,  and  she  moves  towards  LARKY] 

RACHEL 

You  told  Larry  to  go!  .  .  .    Larry!  what  is  it? 
[She  lays  her  hand  on  LARRY'S  arm] 

ROLLO 

Rachel,  you  are  my  wife,  and  this  is  my  house. 

RACHEL 
[To  LARRY] 
But  what  is  it! 

LARRY 

[Clearly] 

Wait  a  minute,  Rollo.    This  house  is  yours,  if  you  insist 
upon  having  it. 

[Smiling] 

We  won't  go  into  that  now.  For  the  rest  of  this  business, 
the  fault  is  partly  mine,  I  confess;  and  I  owe  you,  in  spite 
of  your  late  courtesy,  a  few  words  of  explanation.  There 
fore  I  must  ask  you,  Rachel,  to  leave  the  two  of  us  together 
for  a  little  while.  Rollo  makes  mistakes  now  and  then,  like 
all  the  rest  of  us,  but  this  time  he  is  right  in  asking  you  to 
go  away.  You  trust  me,  I  hope? 

RACHEL 

[Bewildered] 

Yes,  Larry,  I  trust  you.    But  I  don't  know  what  you 
mean. 


THE  PORCUPINE  49 

LARRY 

[Patting  her  shoulder  and  smiling] 

Neither  does  Rollo — quite.  My  purpose  is  to  make 
him  know — before  he  drives  me  away  forever.  You 
needn't  be  at  all  scared.  Now  go  away. 

[RACHEL  moves  slowly  towards  the  child's  room] 

ROLLO 

[Closing  the  vestibule  door] 

Your  request  appears  to  be  reasonable,  and  I  will  listen 
to  what  you  have  to  say. 

[There  is  distinct  hostility  in  his  manner] 

LARRY 

[To  RACHEL,  who  hesitates  at  the  door] 
Rachel? 

RACHEL 

[Looking  from  one  to  the  other] 
Yes,  Larry. 

[She  goes  out  slowly,  closing  the  door  silently] 

ROLLO 

[Half  way  to  the  table] 
Well,  I  am  waiting. 

LARRY 

[Sitting  in  rocking  chair  and  facing  him] 
The  whole  town  is  waiting. 

ROLLO 

[Standing  with  his  hands  behind  him] 
No  more  of  that. 


50  THE  PORCUPINE 

LARRY 

And  the  whole  town  is  saying  things,  Rollo. 

ROLLO 

[With  false  irony] 
Well— what  things? 

LARRY 

The  town  is  saying,  among  other  things,  that  you  are 
killing  your  wife. 

ROLLO 

[Sitting  down  heavily] 
Do  you  mean  to  say  that  you  have  heard  talk  about.  .  .  . 

LARRY 

[Distinctly] 

Yes,  I've  heard  a  lot  of  it.  I  heard  the  first  of  it  in 
Chicago. 

ROLLO 

For  the  love  of  heaven,  Larry,  don't  make  a  joke  of 
this. 

LARRY 

[Tapping  his  boots] 

Joke?  I  should  say  not.  You  see  Rollo,  I  was  sitting 
one  afternoon  in  my  Chicago  office,  looking  out  over  the 
town  and  thinking  over  my  not  altogether  creditable 
career,  when  my  partner  Fillson  came  in  and  began  to 
talk.  He's  a  good  talker — Fillson.  He  had  just  returned 
from  a  trip  to  these  parts,  and  it  transpired  that  he  had 
the  devil  and  all  to  talk  about — including  yourself. 


THE  PORCUPINE  51 

ROLLO 
Fillson?   I  seem  to  remember  that  name. 

LARRY 

Very  likely,  for  you  met  him  less  than  a  year  ago.  He 
came  here  at  my  suggestion  to  have  a  look  at  Appleton's 
Ledges,  with  a  view  of  possible  quarrying.  Nothing  came 
of  that,  however. 

ROLLO 
[Puzzled] 
But  what  have  you  to  do  with  granite? 

LARRY 

[Laughing 

Nothing.  But  when  it  comes  to  showing  other  fellows 
what  to  do  with  it,  Fillson  insists  that  I  have  not  lived  in 
vain.  In  fact,  I  suppose  I  may  say  that  some  of  the 
stunningest  huts  in  Chicago  are  due  to  Fillson — and  to  me. 

ROLLO 

[Getting  up  and  going  towards  the  stove] 
Are  you  an  architect? 

LARRY 
I  might  say  so,  by  straining  a  point. 

ROLLO 
I  knew  nothing  of  this. 

LARRY 

Well,  no  matter  about  it  now.  Whether  I  am  rich,  or 
poor,  or  so-so,  is  of  little  consequence — compared  with 
Rachel  and  Alma. 


52  THE  PORCUPINE 

ROLLO 

[Amazed} 
Rich? 

LARRY 

[Laughing] 

Not  at  all,  as  the  word  goes  nowadays.  But  aren't  we 
forgetting  Rachel? 

ROLLO 

[Protesting] 
By  no  means.    But — you  see.  .  .  . 

LARRY 

[Tapping  his  boots] 

Of  course  I  see.  I  can't  very  well  help  seeing.  But  the 
most  important  question  now  is,  if  you  will  pardon  me, 
not  so  much  what  7  see  as  what  you  see.  With  Rachel 
wearing  out,  and  with  Alma  in  a  tuberose  way,  don't  you 
begin  to  see  that  this  little  affair  of  yours  with — the  Blue 
Lady — 

ROLLO 

Stop! 

LARRY 

[Calmly] 

You  mean,  must  stop.  You  left  out  a  word.  And  you 
may  as  well  know  that  Stuart  Hoover,  whatever  you  may 
think  of  him,  would  have  had  you  over  the  coals  long  ago 
if  it  hadn't  been  for  Rachel's  feelings.  I  don't  know  just 
how  much  longer  he'll  wait. 


THE  PORCUPINE  53 

ROLLO 

[Wiping  his  forehead] 
Does  Ben  understand  this? 

LARRY 

Didn't  you  hear  what  he  said  before  he  went  out — about 
Rachel  and  Alma? 

ROLLO 

[With  evasion] 
Ben  would  like  to  marry  Alma  himself. 

LARRY 

Well,  he  won't.  And  so  you  won't  have  to  worry  any 
more  about  that. 

ROLLO 

[Hesitating] 
What  does  Ben  say  about — about  me? 

LARRY 

For  the  moment,  Rollo,  I'm  afraid  that  Ben  doesn't  see 
a  very  conspicuous  niche  for  you  in  the  halls  of  heroic 
fame. 

ROLLO 

[Wetting  his  lips] 

Then  you  give  me  to  understand  that  I  am  a  coward  in 
men's  eyes,  do  you? 

LARRY 

Did  I  say  that?  Aren't  you  a  soldier  in  the  army  of  the 
— what's  his  name? — the  Great  Uplift? 


54  THE  PORCUPINE 

ROLLO 

[Brokenly] 

There  was  a  time  when  I  could  say  so,  but  God  knows 
what  I  am  today. 

LARRY 

You  still  carry  the  banner. 

ROLLO 

[Bitterly] 
Yes— I  still  carry  it. 

LARRY 

Why  don't  you  pass  it  on  to  some  one  else? 

ROLLO 

[With  difficulty] 

Because  I  can  carry  it  still.    Yes,  and  I  can  fight,  even 
though  I  be  a  wounded  man. 

LARRY 

That  might  sound  rather  well,  Rollo,  if  only  you  could 
say  it  without  stopping  to  swallow. 

ROLLO 

[After  an  uncomfortable  pause] 
Well  then,  if  you  must  know,  there  is  another  reason. 

LARRY 
I  thought  so. 

ROLLO 

[Earnestly] 

You  see  me  in  a  bad  light  now,  Larry — I  know  that. 
But — well,  listen.    I  married  Rachel,  and  I  did  everything 


THE  PORCUPINE  55 

in  my  power  to  make  her  happy  until  I  realized  that  all 
my  efforts,  all  my  love,  all  my  devotion,  were  thrown 
away.  I  did  all  that  a  man  could  possibly  do.  And  that 
marriage,  I  tell  you,  was  the  result  of  her  coming  to  me 
of  her  own  accord,  and  telling  me  that  she  was  so  unhappy 
where  she  lived  that  she  begged  me  to  take  her  away. 
You  know  that  I  had  given  up  all  hope  of  ever  having  her 
for  my  wife,  and  therefore  you  can  partly  imagine  what 
my  surprise  and  happiness  must  have  been  when  I  realized, 
or  thought  I  realized,  the  truth. 

[Clutching  LARRY'S  arm] 

But  you  cannot  ever  imagine  what  an  inferno  it  was  for 
me  when  I  found  that  I  had  married  a  porcupine  instead 
of  a  woman. 

[He  moves  backward  a  few  steps  and  wipes  his  forehead} 

LARRY 

[Worried  and  puzzled] 
Do  you  call  Rachel  a  porcupine? 

[He  ends  with  a  forced  laugh] 

ROLLO 

I  don't  know  what  else  to  call  her.  Whatever  she  is, 
she  is  something  that  isn't  human.  Whenever  I  go  near 
her  now,  she  seems  to  wear  an  armor  of  invisible  knives. 
And  I  tell  you,  Larry,  they  cut.  They  cut  deep. 

[Pause] 
Have  I  thrown  any  new  light  on  myself? 

LARRY 
[Slowly] 

Yes — you  have. 


56  THE  PORCUPINE 

ROLLO 

[Bitterly] 
Good,  or  bad? 

LARRY 

[Slowly] 

New. 

ROLLO 

[Throwing  up  his  hands] 

It  may  be  new  to  you,  Larry,  but  heaven  knows  it's  old 
enough  to  me. 

[Losing  himself] 

Is  it  altogether  strange  that  I  gave  out  at  last?  What  if 
I  have  made  a  fool  of  myself  with  another  woman?  What 
if  the  whole  town  is  waiting?  Haven't  I  waited?  Haven't 
I  prayed,  and  suffered,  and  starved?  Do  you  understand 
what  I  am  saying? 

LARRY 

[Heaves  a  long  sigh  and  sits  down  again  in  the  rocking  chair] 

Every  word  of  it. 

[Looking  up] 

I'm  sorry  for  you,  Rollo,  but  before  I  can  be  of  any  spiritual 
or  material  service,  I'm  still  very  much  afraid  that  you'll 
have  to  change  your  ways. 

[Calmly  but  incisively] 

If  we  are  going  to  have  a  small-town  Don  Juan  in  the 
family,  he  must  throw  away  his  banner  of  light,  or  I  go 
back  to  Chicago. 
[He  holds  his  stick  crosswise  against  his  knee  and  watches  ROLLO} 


THE  PORCUPINE  57 

ROLLO 

[In  despair] 

Don't  use  your  advantage  over  me  now,  Larry.  Don't 
remember  what  I  may  have  said  to  you  when  you  came 
back — for  you  came  back  at  a  time  when  I  was  in  no  con 
dition  to  be  tested.  Besides,  I  could  have  helped  you — if 
you  had  needed  help — and  I — I  would  have  helped 
you.  ...  But  no  man  can  help  me,  now. 

LARRY 

That  remains  to  be  proved.  In  the  meantime,  Rollo, 
I  wish  you  would  say  nothing  about — Chicago.  You  know 
what  I  mean — my  clothes,  and  all  that  ...  I  tell  you, 
Rollo,  there's  a  way  out  of  this. 

ROLLO 

[Putting  his  hand  to  his  forehead] 

There  is  only  one  way  out,  and  that  will  be  long  and 
hard  and  bitter. 

LARRY 

[Getting  up  and  touching  ROLLO'S  shoulder  with  his  stick] 
My  dear  fellow,  there  is  altogether  too  much  finality 
in  your  make-up.  Now  I  believe  in  ways  out  of  places. 
The  more  I  consider  this  world,  and  its  damnable  nests 
of  misery  that  might  be  cleaned  out  by  the  exercise  of  a 
little  ordinary  intelligence,  the  more  do  I  believe  in  ways 
out  of  places.  Take  my  word  for  it.  The  ways  are  here, 
and  we  are  here  to  find  them.  And  don't,  for  God's  sake, 
think  the  stars  in  their  courses  are  against  you.  If  you 
begin  to  do  that,  you  may  come  to  enjoy  it;  and  that's  a 
good  deal  worse  than  being  dead. 

[With  an  encouraging  laugh] 


58  THE  PORCUPINE 

Rollo,  you  speak  as  if  this  little  provincial  tangle  of  yours 
were  going  to  be  the  end  of  the  world. 

ROLLO 
It  might  as  well  be,  so  far  as  I  am  concerned. 

LARRY 
So  this  is  how  the  wounded  warrior  fights. 

ROLLO 

[Throwing  up  his  hands] 

Forgive  me,  Larry,  but  I  cannot  listen  to  you  any 
longer.  If  you  understood  my  situation  a  little  better 
perhaps  I  might  listen.  I  don't  know. 

[He  begins  to  move  towards  the  study  door] 

LARRY 

Haven't  you  told  me  your  story? 

ROLLO 
It  means  nothing  to  you. 

LARRY 

[Smiling] 
Come,  come!   That  isn't  fair. 

ROLLO 

But  it's  true,  all  the  same.  .  .  . 

[Looking  down] 
Besides,  there  is  something  else. 


THE  PORCUPINE  59 

LARRY 

[Frowning] 

Something  else?    Is  there  never  to  be  an  end  to  this 
story  of  yours? 

[He  takes  ROLLO  by  the  sleeve] 

ROLLO 
There  will  be  an  end  sometime.    Now  let  me  go. 

LARRY 

[Still  holding  him] 

But  you  mustn't  leave  your  story  half  told,  if  you  ex 
pect  me  to  do  anything. 

[Laughs  suddenly,  after  a  pause] 

It  isn't  possible,  Rollo,  that  you  suspect  me  of  taking  too 
much  interest  in  your  Blue  Lady  on  the  Hill? 

ROLLO 

[Putting  up  his  hands  but  not  freeing  himself  from  LARRY] 
0  Larry,  let  me  go!    Let  me  go! 

LARRY 

[Laughing  with  unconscious  roughness] 

Rollo,  will  you  be  here  tomorrow  afternoon?    I  may  be 
able  to  tell  you  something. 

ROLLO 

Yes,  yes, — but  let  me  go. 

[He  goes  backwards  towards  the  study] 


60  TEE  PORCUPINE 

LARRY 

[Still  holding  him] 
But,  Rollo— 

ROLLO 

[Tearing  himself  free  and  plunging  into  the  study] 
Let  me  go ! 

LARRY 

[Laughing] 
But,  Rollo!  .  .  . 

[The  curtain,  falling  rapidly,  closes  the  scene  with  LARRY'S  last 
word] 

CURTAIN 


ACT  II 

The  same  room  on  the  following  day.  DOCTOR  BEN  is  standing 
near  the  table,  looking  at  ALMA,  who  is  also  near  the  table, 
to  the  left.  DOCTOR  BEN  has  his  hands  in  the  pockets  of  his 
fur  overcoat  and  he  is  chewing  an  unlighted  cigar.  After 
a  pause  he  takes  the  cigar  from  his  mouth  and  addresses 
ALMA  with  a  good  natured  but  sincerely  disappointed  growl. 

DR.  BEN 

By  George,  Alma!    I  wish  you  would  tell  me  why  it  is 
that  women  don't  like  me. 

ALMA 
[Smiling] 
But  they  do,  Ben. 

DR.  BEN 
Bah!    You  don't. 

ALMA 

But  I  do,  Ben.    Really  I  do.    I  always  did,  and  I  always 
shall. 

DR.  BEN 

[Growling] 
You  don't  like  me  well  enough  to  marry  me. 

ALMA 

[Biting  her  lip] 

That  is  something  entirely  beyond  our  control. 
61 


62  THE  PORCUPINE 

DR.  BEN 

[With  a  heavy  sigh  and  a  gesture  of  despair] 
It  seems  to  be  beyond  mine,  fast  enough.    I  wonder 
why  it  is. 

ALMA 

[Almost  laughing] 

I  know  some  women  who  would  jump  at  the  chance — 
if  they  could  have  it. 

DR.  BEN 

Bah !    So  would  /  jump — the  other  way. 

[Growling] 
You  know  what  I  mean.    I  mean  women  like  you. 

ALMA 

[Seriously] 
Ben,  you  have  no  right  to  speak  to  me  like  this  again. 

DR.  BEN 

I  suppose  you  are  right. 

[Shortly] 
What's  the  good  of  it? 

ALMA 

None  whatever. 

DR.  BEN 

That's  evident  enough.  But  somehow,  Alma,  I  can't 
let  you  go — entirely.  You  see,  I've  got  so  used  to  being 
turned  down  by  you,  that — 

ALMA 
O  Ben,  Ben,— don't! 


THE  PORCUPINE  63 

DR.  BEN 

In  your  eyes,  Alma,  I  suppose  I'm  something  between 
a  chimpan-zee  and  a  nigger  minstrel.  You  don't  think 
I'm  good  for  much,  but  still  you  rather  like  me — some 
times.  I've  no  doubt  you  say  to  yourself  that  I'm  as 
funny  as  a  Newfoundland  dog — with  a  biscuit  on  his  nose. 

ALMA 

[Laughing 
That  will  do,  Ben.  .  .  .    Did  you  find  your  aconite? 

DR.  BEN 

[Growling 

No,  I  didn't.  I  asked  Rollo  if  he  had  swallowed  it  for 
his  eye-strain,  and  he  said  he  hadn't. 

[Grinning] 
By  the  way,  how  is  that  eye-strain  of  his? 

ALMA 
Better,  I  should  say. 

[Looking  towards  the  study] 

Rollo  and  Larry  have  been  shut  up  in  there  for  the  past 
hour,  and  I've  heard  Larry  laughing  three  or  four  times 
as  if  he  would  die. 

DR.  BEN 

[Looking  towards  the  study] 

That's  good;  you  don't  laugh  enough  in  this  house. — 
Well,  Alma,  don't  be  too  hard  on  me,  and  don't  forget 
that  I'm  not  the  worst  fellow  in  the  world — or  the  most 
unfortunate. 

[She  follows  him  towards  the  street  door] 


64  THE  PORCUPINE 

Anyhow,  I'm  better  off  than  poor  old  Stuart,  with  that 
imported  musical  houri  of  his  to  keep  him  guessing. 

[ALMA  shakes  her  head] 

That's  so — I  beg  your  pardon.  All  right,  and  tell  Rachel 
not  to  worry  any  more  about  the  boy.  In  a  day  or  two 
he'll  be  trying  to  eat  everything  in  sight — including  his 
mother.  Good-bye. 

[He  goes  out  with  considerable  noise  and  ALMA  goes  to  the  window 
at  the  left  of  the  stove.  As  she  stands  looking  out,  LARRY 
enters  from  the  study  and  watches  her  from  the  middle  of  the 
room.  He  takes  his  stick  from  the  table] 

LARRY 

Hello,  Alma!    What  are  you  doing? — trying  to  freeze 
your  nose  off? 

[They  go  towards  each  other.  He  takes  hold  of  her  ears  and  makes 
as  if  to  bite  her  nose] 

ALMA 

[Smiling] 

You  don't  mean  to  let  me  forget  that  you  are  my  Brother 
Larry,  do  you? 

LARRY 

[Sill  holding  her  ears] 

Not  if  I  can  help  myself.    Did  Ben  ask  you  to  marry 
him? 

ALMA 

Why  should  he,  when  he  knows  that  it  wouldn't  do  any 
good? 

LARRY 
What  else  did  he  talk  about? 


THE  PORCUPINE  65 

ALMA 

[Rubbing  her  ears] 

Oh,  about  you, — and  about  Stuart,  and  Stuart's  wife. 
He  called  her  an  imported  musical  houri. 

LARRY 

[Laughing] 

Oh,  he  did.  .  .  And  yet,  you  know,  this  same  Doctor 
Ben  isn't  the  worst  fellow  in  the  world. 

ALMA 

[Drily] 
So  he  has  told  me,  many  times. 

LARRY 

[Grinning] 
What  else  did  he  tell  you? 

ALMA 
Am  I  on  trial  for  my  life? 

[RACHEL  enters  quietly  from  the  left] 

LARRY 

Possibly. 

[He  does  not  see  RACHEL] 

ALMA 
And  Rachel  too? 

[She  looks  at  RACHEL  and  tries  to  laugh] 

RACHEL 

What  are  you  saying  about  Rachel? 


66  THE  PORCUPINE 

ALMA 
Larry  says  that  we  are  all  on  trial  for  our  lives. 

RACHEL 

[Slowly] 
No;  Larry  is  not  on  trial  for  his  life. 

[Despairingly] 
Why  do  you  grown-up  people  talk  such  nonsense? 

LARRY 

[To  ALMA] 
You  might  repeat  some  of  Dr.  Ben's  nonsense  to  Rachel. 

RACHEL 

[Sitting  down  and  speaking  with  laborious  determination] 

No,  Alma,  you  will  do  nothing  of  the  sort,  for  I  am  not 
interested  in  Doctor  Ben's  nonsense.  You  will  leave  Larry 
and  me  together  a  little  while,  for  I  wish  to  ask  his  advice 
about  something. 

[ALMA  gives  her  a  searching  look] 
Is  Rollo  in  there  at  work? 

LARRY 

He'll  have  to  work — if  he's  to  have  that  lecture  ready 
on  time. 

ALMA 

[To  LARRY  as  she  moves  to  right] 
Then  my  trial  isn't  coming  off  just  yet. 


THE  PORCUPINE  67 

RACHEL 

[Quietly] 
There  will  be  plenty  of  time  for  that,  my  dear. 

ALMA 

[Looks  at  RACHEL  and  frowns  unhappily] 
All  right,  Rachel.    I'll  go. 

[She  goes  out,  as  if  with  reluctance,  through  the  lower  door  on  the 
right] 

LARRY 

[Cheerfully] 
Well,  Rachel,  how  are  you? 

RACHEL 

[As  if  afraid] 

Oh,  Larry,  I  don't  know  what  to  do.   I  don't  know  what 
to  say. 

LARRY 
Why — what  do  you  mean? 

RACHEL 
I  mean,  Larry,  that  I  can't— forget. 

LARRY 

[Tapping  his  boots  and  looking  at  them] 
Do  you  mean  that  boy  and  girl  love-affair  of  ours — 
years  ago? 

[Without  conviction] 

Isn't  life  too  short  for  that? 


68  THE  PORCUPINE 

RACHEL 

[Putting  her  hands  to  her  eyes} 
Don't  Larry!    Don't  say  that  again!    It  would  be  cruel. 

LARRY 

[Getting  a  chair  and  sitting  down  before  her] 
I  wonder  if  I  understand  what  you  mean? 

RACHEL 

[Looking  at  him] 
You  do,  Larry.    You  must. 

LARRY 

[Rapidly,  but  with  obvious  efort] 

Rachel,  I  can't  bear  to  see  you  unhappy  like  this.  I 
can't  bear  to  come  back  and  find  you  as  you  are  now.  It 
isn't  reasonable.  It  isn't  right. 

RACHEL 

[Echoing  his  first  words] 

You  can't  bear  to  see  me  unhappy?  .  .  .  Oh,  my  God! 
[She  leans  forward  and  covers  her  face  with  her  hands.    Her  body 
trembles] 

LARRY 
[Very  distinctly] 

Rachel,  how  much  do  you  think  we  know  about  what 
has  happened,  at  one  time  or  another,  in  the  lives  of  the 
best  and  happiest  people  on  earth? 

RACHEL 

[She  sits  up  again,  touches  her  eyes  quickly  with  her  handkerchief 
and  gives  a  sigh  of  despair] 

Why  do  you  say  people,  when  you  mean  women? 


THE  PORCUPINE  69 

LARRY 

All  right,  then.    I'll  say  women. 

[He  stands  up  and  looks  down  at  her  thoughtfully] 
So  it  is  your  memory  of  me  that  has  been  standing  be 
tween  you  and  Rollo  all  these  years.  .  .  . 

RACHEL 
[More  calmly] 

You  heard  what  I  said.  ...  I  said  that  I  can't  forget. 
And  you  speak  to  me  of  boys  and  girls.  .  .  .  Oh,  I  wish 
I  were.  .  .  . 

LARRY 

[Quickly] 

Oh,  no,  you  don't  wish  you  were  dead.  I  won't  let  you. 
And  now  I  want  to  ask  you  something. 

RACHEL 

[Looking  at  him  sorrowfully,  her  lip  trembling 

Very  well,  Larry.  I  came  to  tell  you  something — but  I 
can  listen. 

LARRY 

Are  you  sure,  Rachel,  that  you  have  always  been  as 
good  to  Rollo  as  you  might  have  been?  Have  you  been — 
well,  have  you  always  been  quite  fair  to  him? 

RACHEL 

[Painfully] 

What  do  you  think  you  mean  by  saying  that?  .  .  . 
I  wish  I  were  dead ! 


70  THE  PORCUPINE 

LARRY 

Do  you  feel  better  now  that  you  have  said  it? 

RACHEL 

[As  if  struck] 

Larry,  you  never  spoke  to  me  like  that  in  all  your  life 
before. 

LARRY 

I'm  sorry,  Rachel.    I  didn't  mean  to  hurt  your  feelings. 

RACHEL 

[Hopelessly] 

You  didn't  mean  to  hurt  my  feelings!  .  .  .  What  are 
you  men  made  of? 

LARRY 

[Shaking  his  head  and  smiling  faintly] 

Poor  material,  as  a  rule.  About  the  best  that  some  of 
us  can  do  is  to  weave  a  silver  cord  that  will  keep  the  golden 
bowl  from  going  to  smash.  You  don't  want  the  golden 
bowl  to  go  to  smash,  do  you? 

RACHEL 

Can  you  talk  to  me  like  this — after  going  away  from 
me — ten  years  ago? 

LARRY 

[Tapping  his  boots] 

Rachel,  when  I  ran  away  from  home,  I  was  just  about 
half  crazy.  My  mother  had  been  dead  for  more  than  a 
year,  and  after  that  infernal  row  with  Rollo's  father.  .  .  . 


THE  PORCUPINE  71 

That  man  was  a  born  devil,  I  tell  you.  He  killed  my 
mother  with  his  damned  temper,  and  you  know  that  as 
well  as  I  do. 

RACHEL 

[Looking  up  at  him] 

Yes,  Larry,  I'm  afraid  you  are  right.  But  if  you  had 
known  how  much  I  needed  you  then,  Larry,  you  would 
never  have  gone  away.  You  couldn't  have  gone.  But 
you  didn't  know,  and  you  couldn't  know.  And  all  you 
know  about  me  now  is  that  I  have  changed.  I  know 
that  I  have  changed,  Larry.  God  knows  I  know  it.  I 
know  that  no  one  likes  me  any  more — except  Alma — and 
her  love  is  more  than  half  pity.  Pity  is  bad  enough,  Larry, 
but  it  isn't  so  bad  as  your  trying  all  the  tune  to  make  me 
laugh.  Forgive  me  for  saying  this,  but  you  must  under 
stand  sometime,  or  I  shall  die. 

\With  a  sad  smile] 

When  you  see  me  now,  Larry,  I  suppose  it's  hard  for  you 
to  believe  that  I  was  ever  the  same  Rachel  you  used  to 
know,  and  used  to  like.  Do  you  find  that  hard,  Larry?  .  .  . 
Tell  me. 

LARRY 

Come,  come,  Rachel.  You  know  I  can't  stand  this. 
I  won't  have  it.  Do  you  think  I  have  no  feelings? 

RACHEL 

No,  Larry,  I  don't  think  that.  I  know  you  too  well 
for  that.  I  know  you  don't  mean  much  by  most  of  what 
you  say  to  me,  but  there  are  some  things  you  must  never 
say  again.  You  must  never  talk  again  of  what  has  passed 


72  THE  PORCUPINE 

between  us  as  if  it  were  dead,  and  out  of  our  lives,  and  a 
thing  to  be  forgotten. 

[With  a  sobbing  cry] 
Forgotten!  .  .  . 

[Her  voice  breaks,  and  she  speaks  with  greater  difficulty  and  with 
increasing  emotion  during  the  rest  of  the  scene] 

LARRY 

Do  you  still  need  me,  Rachel? 

[RACHEL  leans  forward  in  her  chair,  her  body  shakes  with  grief] 
Do  you  still  need  me,  Rachel? 

RACHEL 

[Trying  to  control  herself] 

It's  too  late  now — for  you  to  ask  me  that.    You  cannot 
help  me  now. 

LARRY 

But  you  were  going  to  tell  me  something. 

RACHEL 

[With  difficulty] 
Yes — yes.  ...    I  was  going  to  tell  you  something.  .  .  . 

LARRY 

[With  an  assumption  of  his  old  assurance] 
My  dear  Rachel,  you  are  not  going  to  be  too  sure  of 
what  I  can't  do.    Just  remember  that  and  .  .  . 

VOICE  OF  THE  CHILD 
Uncle  Larry! 


THE  PORCUPINE  73 

LARRY 

[Insisting] 
Will  you  remember  that? 

RACHEL 

[Looking  straight  ahead] 
Yes,  Larry.    I'll  remember. 

[Looking  up  at  him] 

Now  go  away.    Please  go  away!    Your — the  child  wants 
you.  ...     Go!    Go!    Go! 

LARRY 

[Moving  to  the  left] 

I  know  it.    He  wants  me  to  fiddle  to  him.    You'll  re 
member  what  I  said? 

RACHEL 

[Faintly] 
Yes,  Larry. 

[She  watches  him  as  he  goes  into  the  child's  room,  leaving  the  door 
ajar.  Presently  the  sound  of  lively  music  is  heard  through 
the  door.  RACHEL  listens  in  a  state  of  unhappy  abstraction 
as  ROLLO  enters  from  his  study.  His  face  is  more  cheerful 
than  it  has  been  before  and  there  is  a  clumsy  but  well-meaning 
kindness  in  his  words  and  in  his  manner] 

ROLLO 

[Coming  near  to  RACHEL] 
Well,  Rachel,  Larry  is  making  more  music  for  us. 

RACHEL 

[Without  moving] 
Yes. 


74  THE  PORCUPINE 

ROLLO 
He  seems  to  be  playing  with  more  expression  than  usual. 

RACHEL 

[Staccato] 
Yes,  I  was  thinking  of  that. 

ROLLO 

You  look  tired,  Rachel. 

RACHEL 

[Twisting  her  shoulders] 

Does  anyone  ever  miss  an  opportunity  to  tell  me  so? 
Who  is  that? 

[MRS.  HOOVER  enters  after  a  quick  tap  on  the  vestibule  door.   She 
is  dressed  as  in  Act  I] 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Coming  into  the  room] 
O,  is  it  you — you  two? 

[To  ROLLO] 
How  are  the  eyes? 

[Looking  to  the  left] 

And  what  in  the  world  is  the  matter  with  your  funny  Mr. 
Larry?   He  fiddles  like  a  reclaimed  sinner. 

[Pause] 
I  know  that  tune. 

[She  beats  time  with  her  hands  and  comes  half  dancing  towards 
RACHEL,  singing  and  laughing  as  she  comes] 


THE  PORCUPINE  75 

"  Roy's  wife  of  Aldivalloch, 
Roy's  wife  of  Aldivalloch, — 
Wot  ye  how  she  cheated  me, 
As  I  cam'  o'er  the  braes  o'  Balloch?" 

I  haven't  heard  that  tune  since  the  time  when  I  used  to 
ring  door  bells  and  run. 

[To  ROLLO] 
Don't  ask  me  how  long  ago  that  was,  for  I  shan't  tell  you. 

ROLLO 

[With  unction] 

You  will  rejoice  to  know,  Mrs.  Hoover,  that  Larry  and 
I  are  on  better  terms  than  when  you  saw  us  yesterday. 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Clapping  her  hands] 
Good,  good,  good! 

[To  RACHEL,  laughing] 

Did  you  do  it,  Rachel?    Good  gracious,  how  sorry  you 
look! 

RACHEL 

[Rising] 
I  am  sorry — if  I  look  sorry. 

[Pause] 

You  will  excuse  me  if  I  go  away  and  lie  down? 
[She  moves  to  the  right,  but  stops  when  MRS.  HOOVER  speaks] 


76  THE  PORCUPINE 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Laughing] 

Of  course  we  will — since  you  are  going  anyhow.    Did 
you  think  you  were  asking  a  question? 
[She  watches  RACHEL  with  a  sigh  and  a  smile  as  she  goes  out  on 
the  right,  and  then  looks  quickly  at  ROLLO} 

Where  is  Alma? 

ROLLO 
[Solemnly] 
I  don't  know. 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Smiling] 
Do  you  care? 

ROLLO 
You  know  what  I  care  for. 

MRS.  HOOVER 
Are  you  going  out? 

ROLLO 
I  was  going  out. 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Sweetly] 
For  a  walk? 

ROLLO 

[Solemnly] 
Yes. 

MRS.  HOOVER 

\With  another  sigh] 
Well,  if  you  go  out,  and  Rachel  goes  away  to  lie  down, 


THE  PORCUPINE  77 

and  Alma  remains  invisible,  I  see  nothing  left  for  me  to 
do  but  to  go  home  and  play  with  the  cat. 

[She  looks  at  ROLLO  and  laughs] 

Kitty,  kitty,  kitty,  kitty,  kitty!— Oh  dear,  I  wish  I  could 
curl  up  and  purr  for  the  rest  of  my  life. 

[The  music  ceases  and  the  door  of  the  child's  room  opens] 
No,  I  don't  either.    Here  is  Mr.  Larry  .  .  .  and  I  know 
he'll  take  care  of  me. 

LARRY 

[Coming  out  and  closing  the  door] 
Do  you  need  my  protection? 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[With  a  shrug] 

Not  exactly,  but  I  want  to  be  amused.  Rollo  is  too 
serious,  and  I  was  just  about  going  to  give  up  and  go  home. 

LARRY 

[Tapping  his  boots] 

I  heard  your  remark  to  that  effect,  and  that's  why  I 
came  out.  And  now  you  might  suggest  something  for 
me  to  do — to  amuse  you. 

MRS.  HOOVER 
Tell  me  a  funny  story. 

LARRY 

[Looking  at  ROLLO] 
I  know  one. 

MRS.  HOOVER 
Is  it  proper? 


78  THE  PORCUPINE 

LARRY 

Rollo  liked  it. 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[To  ROLLO] 
Do  you  think  I  ought  to  hear  it? 

ROLLO 

I  don't  believe  my  opinion  will  be  necessary.  I  am  going 
for  a  walk.  Good  afternoon. 

[He  goes  into  the  vestibule  and  closes  the  door} 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Amused] 
Good  afternoon. 

[To  LARRY] 

What  in  the  world  has  happened  to  him? 

LARRY 

[Smiling] 

That's  a  part  of  the  story.  Won't  you  take  off  your 
things  and  sit  down? 

[She  obeys  promptly] 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Sitting  down] 
Tell  it. 

LARRY 

[With  peculiar  distinctness] 

I'd  much  rather  you  would  tell  me,  without  reservation, 
that  you  don't  mistrust  me  on  account  of  my  boots.  You 
may  be  surprised  to  know  that  they  are  the  property  of 
your  beloved  husband. 


THE  PORCUPINE  79 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Delighted] 
Stuart's  boots!    Does  that  coat  belong  to  Stuart  too? 

LARRY 

[Looking  down  at  it] 
No,  the  coat  is  all  my  own.    Do  you  like  it? 

MRS.  HOOVER 
Very  much — on  you. 

LARRY 

[Brushing  his  sleeve] 

Thank  you.    Being  a  bachelor,  I  am  always  puffed  up 
when  the  women  like  my  clothes. 
| 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Amused  and  puzzled] 

Of  course  you  are.    But  why  don't  you  get  married? 

LARRY 

[Brushing  the  other  sleeve] 
I  have  thought  of  that  too. 

MRS.  HOOVER 
You  would  make  a  delicious  husband — for  somebody. 

LARRY 

Do  you  think  so?    Well,  at  the  risk  of  seeming  uncon 
ventional,  I  will  tell  you  something  that  /  think. 
[She  nods] 


8o  THE  PORCUPINE 

I  think  that  some  men  and  some  women  have  about  as 
much  business  being  married  as  alligators  would  have — 
being  vaccinated. 

MRS.  HOOVER 
Thank  you  for  calling  me  an  alligator. 

LARRY 

I  never  called  a  lady  an  alligator  in  my  life.    Are  you 
happy? 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Laughing  at  him] 
No. 

LARRY 

Still,  you  have  a  good  husband? 

MRS.  HOOVER 
An  excellent  husband — for  somebody. 

LARRY 

And  a  comfortable  home? 

MRS.  HOOVER 
The  roof  doesn't  leak. 

LARRY 

Stuart  is  kind  to  you,  isn't  he? 

MRS.  HOOVER 

Oh,  yes;  but  he  would  like  me  a  little  better  if  I  were  in 
Manchuria — or  somewhere. 


THE  PORCUPINE  81 

LARRY 

[With  quick  persistence] 
Then  why  don't  you  go  to  Manchuria — or  somewhere? 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Promptly] 
I  would  if  I  could. 

[Feeling  her  way] 

But  I  didn't  think  you  would  do  this,  Mr.  Larry. 

LARRY 
Do  what? 

MRS.  HOOVER 

Remind  me  of  my — I  was  going  to  say  my  poverty.    But 
perhaps  I  had  better  say  my  circumstances. 
[With  a  quick  laugh] 

They  are  circumstances,  aren't  they,  until  they  begin  to 
show  through? 

LARRY 

[Smiling] 

But  you  don't  answer  my  question.    Why  don't  you 
go  to  some  place  where  you  can  be  happy? 

MRS.  HOOVER 
How  can  anyone  be  happy  without  money? 

LARRY 

[Thoughtfully] 
Stuart  hasn't  much  now,  I  suppose. 


82  THE  PORCUPINE 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Rather  drily] 
No,  and  Stuart  doesn't  seem  to  know  how  to  make  it. 

LARRY 
I  don't  believe  Stuart  will  ever  know  how  to  make  it. 

MRS.  HOOVER 
You  are  encouraging,  at  any  rate. 

LARRY 

[More  earnestly] 
That  depends  upon  your  way  of  looking  at  things. 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Glancing  up  at  him] 
At  what  things? 

LARRY 
[Laughing] 

O,  I  don't  know,  exactly.    Food,  fans,  hats,  opera.  .  .  . 
I'm  told  that  you  are  rather  strong  for  opera. 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[With  suppressed  interest] 
But  I  can't  have  it  here  in  Tadmor — unless  I  dream  it. 

LARRY 
And  I  thought  you  liked  money. 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Drily] 
I  have  to  dream  that  too. 


THE  PORCUPINE  83 

LARRY 

[Smiling] 
Can  you  get  it  in  that  way? 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[With  a  shrug] 
Not  often. 

LARRY 

[Casually] 
Why  don't  you  borrow  some? 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Venturing] 

How  dreadfully  much  you  want  me  to  go  away!    Why 
don't  you  tell  me  so? 

LARRY 

I  beg  your  pardon,  but  you  told  me  yourself  that  you 
wanted  to  go  away. 

MRS.  HOOVER 
[Her  eyes  snapping 

And  you  feel  absolutely  sure  that  Stuart  and  Alma 
would  live  happily  ever  after? 

LARRY 

Happiness  is  a  relative  term.    I  have  heard  it  defined 
as  the  absence  of  extreme  want  and  of  acute  physical  pain. 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[With  a  thin  laugh] 
I  wouldn't  give  two  cents  for  that  kind  of  happiness. 


84  THE  PORCUPINE 

LARRY 

Well,  I  hope  that  will  never  be  necessary.  But  if  you 
care  so  much  for  music,  and  the  city,  and  all  that  sort  of 
thing,  I  don't  for  the  life  of  me  understand  why  you  don't 
have  it. 

[Smiling] 

You  needn't  look  at  my  boots,  for  they  are  merely  an 
eccentricity  of  a  childish  mind. 

MRS.  HOOVER 
[With  excited  wonder] 
And  the  rest  of  you?   Are  you  all  a  disguise? 

LARRY 

I  hope  not — quite. 

MRS.  HOOVER 
Has  Stuart  known  this  all  along? 

LARRY 
Since  I  came  back.    Stuart  and  Doctor  Ben. 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[With  flashing  eyes] 
I'm  awfully  glad  to  know  that  you  aren't  really  poor. 

LARRY 

[Smiling] 
So  is  Rollo. 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Demurely,  after  a  pause] 
You  make  it  very  difficult  for  me  to  say  anything. 


THE  PORCUPINE  85 

LARRY 

Then  I'll  try  to  make  it  easy. 

[He  sits  down  at  the  table  and  writes  a  check,  which  he  gives  to  her 
in  a  matter-of-fact  way] 

There.  Now  if  you  were  to  receive  a  manuscript  like  that 
on  the  first  day  of  each  month,  even  in  case  of  my  death, 
how  long  would  you  be  inclined  to  remain  a  prisoner  here 
in  Tadmor?  Of  course  you  could  pay  it  back  at  your  own 
convenience. 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Getting  up  and  fidgeting] 
But  this  doesn't  seem  possible! 

LARRY 

[Smiling] 
It  wouldn't  have  been  at  one  time. 

MRS.  HOOVER 
But  when  am  I  to  pay  it  back? 

LARRY 

I  told  you  at  your  own  convenience.    When  you  get 
ready.    When  you  sing  Brunnhilde  and  Isolde. 

MRS.  HOOVER 
Please  don't  laugh  at  me. 

LARRY 

Then  sing  something  else:  "There  is  a  fountain  filled 
with  blood."    I  don't  care  what  you  sing. 


86  THE  PORCUPINE 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[With  a  shrug] 
Don't  be  horrid. 

LARRY 

I'm  not  going  to  be.    Where  do  you  wish  most  to  go? 

MRS.  HOOVER 
[Slowly] 

The  people  I  know  best — or  did  know  best — are  in 
New  York  now. 

LARRY 

[Tapping  his  boots] 
Well,  New  York  is  still  on  the  map. 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Unable  to  keep  still] 

And  I  can  see  it  all  before  me  at  this  minute.  .  .  . 
Broadway — Fifth  Avenue — Central  Park — 

LARRY 

[Smiling] 
Don't  forget  the  Aquarium. 

MRS.  HOOVER 
You  are  laughing  at  me. 

[Laughing  herself] 
Well,  I  don't  care. 

LARRY 

What  do  you  expect  to  do  when  you  get  to  New  York? 


THE  PORCUPINE  87 

MRS.  HOOVER 
Live — 

[With  less  fervor] 
and  work,  of  course. 

[They  stand  facing  each  other,  about  three  feet  apart] 

LARRY 

Sing? 

[She  nods] 
Really? 

[She  nods  twice] 

Well,  that's  a  good  thing  to  do — sometimes.  In  the  mean 
time,  I  suppose  you  would  like  to  change  that  piece  of 
paper  for  something  of  another  color.  Do  you  prefer 
these  fellows? 

[He  gives  her  some  yellow  notes  and  tears  up  the  check] 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[After  looking  at  the  notes] 

You  dear  good  Mr.  Larry.    I  have  a  great  mind  to  kiss 
you. 

LARRY 

No,  you'd  better  not  do  that.    I'd  much  rather  you'd 
write  a  brief  letter  to  Stuart.    Will  you — at  my  dictation? 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Silting  down  quickly] 
Of  course  I  will. 

[Speaking  as  she  writes] 
"Dear  Stuart." 

[Slowly] 

I  wonder  if  I  shall  ever  write  that  again? 


88  THE  PORCUPINE 

LARRY 

[Standing  near  her] 

"You  and  I  have  lived  together  in  Hades" — no,  say 
"Hell."  Have  you  got  it? 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Writing  vigorously] 
Yes,  I've  got  it. 

LARRY 

" — for  ten  years.  I  know  that  everything  would  go 
from  bad  to  worse  if  we  were  to  remain  as  we  are,  and  I 
know  that  you  will  not  shed  many  tears  when  I  tell  you 
that  I  am  out  of  your  life  forever." — Now  sign  it,  if  you 
please. 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Soberly,  after  signing] 
But  I  am  not  yet  out  of  it. 

LARRY 

You  may  be  by  this  time  tomorrow.  You  won't  be 
taking  any  great  amount  of  Tadmor  millinery  along  with 
you,  I  suppose? 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Rising] 
Do  you  ever  come  to  New  York? 

LARRY 

I  may  go  there  again,  sometime.  I  don't  know  whether 
I  shall  or  not. 


THE  PORCUPINE  89 

MRS.  HOOVER 

But  you  must.    Shake  hands  and  tell  me  that  you  will. 
I'll  send  you  my  address. 

LARRY 

[Smiling] 
I  should  advise  you  to  do  that. 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Holding  his  hand  tightly] 

I  shall  never  know  how  to  thank  you,  Mr.  Larry. 

[She  continues  to  keep  his  hand  and  look  at  him  with  alluring  eyes. 
RACHEL  comes  in  quietly  from  the  right  and  watches  the  two 
as  they  stand  together,  her  face  drawn  with  anger  and  un- 
happiness] 

RACHEL 

[In  a  dry  voice] 
I  trust  that  I  am  not  intruding. 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Dropping  LARRY'S  hand] 

Why,  Rachel!    I  supposed  you  were  fast  asleep  and 
dreaming. 

RACHEL 
You  need  never  suppose  that — at  this  time  of  day. 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Reprovingly] 
You  talk  as  you  did  yesterday. 


go  THE  PORCUPINE 

RACHEL 

[Drily] 
Is  there  any  reason  why  I  shouldn't? 

MRS.  HOOVER 

I  can  think  of  ten  thousand  reasons  why  you  shouldn't 
be  miserable  when  there  is  no  need  of  it. 

RACHEL 

[Wearily,  with  a  touch  of  venom] 
I  dare  say  you  are  right. 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Laughing  nervously] 

Oh,  you  needn't  believe  anything  that  7  say.  But  if 
I  were  a  mother,  I  should  be  glad  instead  of  sorry  to  know 
that  my  child  was  out  of  danger. 

[She  goes  to  RACHEL  and  lays  her  hand  on  her  arm] 
It  wasn't  nice  of  me  to  say  that?    I  know  it  wasn't. 

[Laughing] 

But  you  do  carry  such  a  dreadfully  long  face. 
[Holding  one  hand  above  the  other] 

It's  as  long  as  that.  You  talk  as  if  there  were  nothing  in 
the  world  but  bears  and  griffins  and  things — to  crunch  us 
alive  and  eat  us  up. 

LARRY 

[Tapping  his  boots] 

But  we  are  going  to  drive  all  those  bears  and  griffins  and 
things  back  over  the  edge  of  Rachel's  horizon.  And  that 
will  have  a  tendency  to  make  Rachel  better  natured  and 
possibly  to  make  her  laugh. 


THE  PORCUPINE  91 

MRS.  HOOVER 
[To  RACHEL,  quickly] 
There!   It  was  he  who  said  that.    7  didn't  say  it. 

RACHEL 
I  heard  what  he  said. 

MRS.  HOOVER 

And  I  hope  you  will  try  to  believe  it. 
[Holding  out  her  hand] 
You  don't  like  me  very  well  today,  do  you,  Rachel? 

RACHEL 

[Taking  her  hand  for  a  moment] 
I  don't  think  you  need  worry  much  about  that. 

MRS.  HOOVER 

[Slowly,  with  a  touch  of  malice] 
I'll  try  not  to. 

[Pause] 

Well,  good-bye,  Rachel.    Good-bye,  Mr.  Larry. 

[She  takes  up  her  wraps.    LARRY  helps  her  on  with  them,  and 
opens  the  vestibule  door.    There  is  an  uncomfortable  pause] 

LARRY 

[With  a  significance  that  puzzles  RACHEL] 
Good-bye,  Mrs.  Hoover. 

[She  looks  at  him  with  a  strange  smile  that  seems  partly  regretful 
and  goes  out  slowly] 


92  THE  PORCUPINE 

RACHEL 

[Quickly,  as  the  door  closes] 

I  wish  that  woman  would  go  to  the  other  end  of  the 
world  and  stay  there  for  the  rest  of  her  life. 

LARRY 

[Cheerfully] 

Maybe  she  will.  She  was  talking  just  now  about  going 
to  Manchuria. 

RACHEL 

[With  anger  and  sorrow] 
O  Larry,  Larry, — what  a  child  you  are! 

LARRY 

[With  easy  confidence] 

There  is  no  doubt  about  that.  And  you're  another. 
All  women  are  children,  when  it  comes  to  seeing  things 
in  the  dark — as  you  do. 

RACHEL 

[Going  wearily  towards  the  table] 
You  know  a  great  deal  about  women,  don't  you? 

LARRY 

[Cheerfully] 

No,  not  much.  But  I  can  almost  always  tell  them 
when  I  see  them. 

"Flies  in  the  milk  I  know  full  well, 
I  know  the  pear-tree  by  the  pear; 
I  know  the  walnut  by  the  shell, 

And  women  by  the  clothes  they  wear." 
That  was  written  by  a  Frenchman. 


THE  PORCUPINE  93 

RACHEL 

[Bitterly] 
Larry,  you  speak  as  if  life  were  a  child's  game. 

LARRY 

Well,  it  isn't— if  I  do. 

RACHEL 

[Despairingly] 

Are  you  never  to  understand  what  life  is? — what  it 
means? 

LARRY 
Do  you  know  what  it  means? 

RACHEL 
Yes.  ...    I  know. 

LARRY 

Then  you  ought  to  write  a  book  about  it. 

RACHEL 

Do  you  mean  to  drive  me  mad,  Larry?  Or,  for  God's 
sake,  what  do  you  mean ! 

LARRY 

[Cheerfully] 

Rachel,  what  in  heaven's  name  do  you  think  you  are 
talking  about  now?  Are  you  still  worrying  over  that 
woman,  as  you  call  her?  If  you  are,  you  had  better  take 
my  advice  and  cease  from  doing  her  the  honor  of  having 
her  on  your  nerves.  She  isn't  worth  it. 


94  THE  PORCUPINE 

RACHEL 

[With  difficulty] 

Larry!  Don't  you  know  that  every  word  you  are  saying 
makes  me  suffer  as  I  should  if  you  were  to  strike  me  with 
your  own  hand?  .  .  .  This  makes  the  second  time  to-day 
that  I  have  come  into  this  room  to  tell  you  something, 
but  I  don't  know  whether  I  can  do  it  or  not.  ...  I 
come  back  to  do  it,  and  I  find  you  holding  that  woman's 
hand — and  laughing. 

LARRY 

If  I  laughed  at  her  when  I  had  her  all  to  myself,  the 
chances  are  that  I  wasn't  very  far  gone. 

RACHEL 

No  matter  about  her.  She  isn't  what  I  came  to  talk 
about.  And  you  ought  to  know  it. 

LARRY 

[Becoming  more  serious] 

I  do.  Give  me  credit  for  that  much,  at  any  rate.  Now, 
Rachel,  if  you  knew  what  is  going  on  in  my  mind  at  this 
moment,  you  would  never  again  have  any  more  doubt 
about  me.  Do  you  remember  what  you  said  to  me  a  little 
while  ago?  You  said  you  needed  me — or  you  might  as 
well  have  said  it. 

RACHEL 

[Hopelessly] 

Do  I  remember!  ...     O  Larry,  don't! 
[There  is  a  knock  at  the  street  door.    LARRY  hesitates,  looks  earn 
estly  at  RACHEL,  who  has  turned  her  back  towards  him,  and 
opens  the  door,  admitting  STUART  HOOVER.    He  looks  at 
RACHEL  inquiringly  and  then  at  LARRY] 


THE  PORCUPINE  95 

LARRY 

Well,  Rachel,  here  is  our  friend  Stuart. 

[To  STUART] 

Rachel  looks  as  if  she  were  afraid  of  something— but  she 
isn't. 

RACHEL 

[Covering  a  yawn  and  forcing  a  faint  smile] 
You  mustn't  mind  me,  Stuart,  I'm  always  doing  some 
thing  that  I  ought  not  to  do. 

[She  goes  toward  the  child's  room,  meeting  STUART  and  LARRY 
about  half  way  between  the  table  and  the  door.  The  three 
stop  and  are  silent  for  a  short  time] 

STUART 

[With  a  dry  laugh] 

You  can't  be  afraid  of  anything  in  this  house,  Rachel, 
and  I'm  mighty  sure  that  you  aren't  afraid  of  me. 

RACHEL 

[With  a  strange  earnestness] 

How  do  either  of  you  know  what  there  is  in  this  house 
— or  in  any  house?  Houses  are  the  strangest  things  in 
all  the  world. 

STUART 

[As  RACHEL  goes  to  the  door  of  the  child's  room] 
Except  the  people  who  live  in  them. 

[He  frowns  as  if  perplexed] 

RACHEL 

[Turning  about,  with  her  hand  on  the  knob] 
Yes. 


96  THE  PORCUPINE 

[Slowly] 
Or  the  people  who  do  not  live  in  them. 

[She  looks  at  LARRY  as  she  speaks] 

LARRY 

[With  a  forced  laugh] 
Ghosts? 

RACHEL 

[After  a  pause] 
No.  .  .  .     Not  ghosts. 

[She  goes  in  and  closes  the  door] 

STUART 

[After  a  long  sigh] 
There  goes  a  vision  of  happiness  for  you. 

LARRY 

[Tapping  his  boots] 
Stuart,  the  blind  man. 

STUART 

[Unbuttoning  his  overcoat] 
I  could  have  said  that  myself. 

LARRY 

[Laughing] 

Cheer  up — and  take  off  your  coat.  You  are  still  young, 
and  there's  time  for  all  sorts  of  things  to  happen.  Maps 
of  the  world  have  been  changed  in  less  than  an  hour, — 
and  there  are  twenty-four  hours  in  each  day. 


THE  PORCUPINE  97 

STUART 

[Throwing  his  coat  over  a  small  chair  near  the  stove] 
Aren't  you  sorry  there  are  not  twenty-five? 

LARRY 

[Touching  him  with  his  stick] 
That  means  a  pill  for  your  liver. 

STUART 

[Sitting  down  carelessly  in  the  rocking  chair] 
You  needn't  worry  about  me — or  my  liver.     But  I 
don't  like  the  way  Rachel  looks — or  the  way  she  acts. 

LARRY 

[Sitting  down  by  the  table] 

Neither  do  I.  But  there  are  going  to  be  changes  in 
this  house,  and  the  good  God  knows  it's  time.  And  you 
are  expected  to  believe  what  I  tell  you. 

STUART 

I  know  about  that.  But  I  can  assure  you,  Larry,  that 
all  this  talk  of  yours  about  " silver  cords,"  and  "golden 
bowls,"  and  other  symbolic  junk,  has  no  more  meaning 
for  me  than  it  has  for  Rollo.  You  assume  that  it  has,  but 
it  hasn't. 

LARRY 

Come,  come — be  patient.  By  the  way,  your  wife  was 
here  a  little  while  ago. 

STUART 

[Rubbing  his  hands  slowly] 
Was  she? 


98  THE  PORCUPINE 

LARRY 

She  was. 

[Smiling 

And  that  shade  of  blue  that  she  has  taken  on  is  extremely 
becoming. 

STUART 
Then  I  must  be  very  careful  not  to  tell  her  so. 

LARRY 

[Laughing] 
That  means  another  pill  for  your  liver. 

STUART 

[Getting  up  and  moving  about  nervously] 

Oh,  it's  all  right  for  you  to  make  jokes  about  this, 
Larry;  but  you  needn't  do  it  any  more,  for  I  don't  more 
than  half  see  them.  I  may  as  well  tell  you  that  I  can't 
stand  this  kind  of  existence  much  longer.  Sometimes  I've 
a  good  mind  to  go  away  and  hide  myself  in  the  middle  of 
Australia. 

LARRY 

[Amused] 
Emigration  seems  to  be  in  the  air  today. 

STUART 
[Curiously] 
What? 

LARRY 

Nothing.  But  what  if  I  were  to  lasso  you  with  my 
"silver  cord"  and  pull  you  back  to  Tadmor? 


THE  PORCUPINE  99 

STUART 

[Sharply] 
You  might  have  to  break  my  neck  in  order  to  do  it. 

LARRY 

In  that  case,  I  wouldn't  do  it.  But  let  me  assure  you 
right  here,  old  fellow,  that  your  neck  is  not  going  to  be 
broken  on  your  way  back  from  the  middle  of  Australia. 
And  I  speak  now  as  a  practical  man  of  affairs — within 
limits. 

STUART 

There  was  a  time  when  I  thought  7  was  going  to  be  a 
practical  man  of  affairs — within  limits, — and  in  one  way 
I  came  near  to  succeeding.  I  didn't  have  a  chance  to 
overwork  myself  with  affairs,  but  I  found  all  the  limits. 

[Wearily] 

So  you  see,  if  a  man  can't  do  one  thing  in  this  life,  he  can 
do  another. 

LARRY 
[Amused] 
Or  still  another. 

STUART 
Go  on.   I  was  always  an  ass. 

LARRY 

Should  I  have  taken  you  into  my  confidence  if  I  had 
thought  so? 

STUART 

[4s  if  disgusted  with  himself] 

Why  not — so  long  as  you  knew  that  I  could  keep  my 
mouth  shut.  A  mud-turtle  can  do  that. 


100  THE  PORCUPINE 

LARRY 

[Still  amused] 

You  might  forget  your  natural  history  for  the  moment, 
and  pay  more  attention  to  what  I  am  saying.  I  took  you 
into  my  confidence,  but  I  did  not  tell  you  everything. 

STUART 

[Drily] 
No — not  quite  everything. 

LARRY 

[Getting  up  and  stretching  himself] 
Not  yet — but  I  am  still  confident. 

STUART 

Your  confidence — in  something  or  other — is  very  evi 
dent. 
[He  looks  quickly  to  the  right  as  ALMA  enters  from  the  lower  door] 

LARRY 

Do  I  make  a  show  of  it? 

[To  ALMA,  who  comes  to  the  table] 

Do  you  think,  Alma,  that  I  make  a  show  of  my  confi 
dence — in  something  or  other? 

ALMA 
I  think  you  make  a  show  of  yourself — in  those  boots. 

LARRY 
Don't  you  care  for  them? 


THE  PORCUPINE  MOI 

ALMA 
I  don't  admire  them. 

[Taking  up  a  magazine] 
And  I  don't  always  admire  the  person  who  is  wearing  them. 

LARRY 

[Moving  towards  her] 

Why  these  unsisterly  remarks  to  the  likes  of  one  who 
has  no  friends?    You  ought  to  be  sorry  for  yourself. 

[Looking  over  her  shoulder] 
What  are  you  reading? 

ALMA 

I'm  looking  at  the  pictures. 

[Turning  towards  him  and  hitting  his  face  with  hers] 
Go  away! 

LARRY 

[Pointing  down  over  her  shoulder  at  a  picture] 
That  one  looks  like  me. 

ALMA 

[Drawing  away  and  laughing] 

If  I  were  to  tell  you  what  you  look  like,  you  would 
wring  my  neck. 

LARRY 

[Gripping  her  neck  with  his  fingers] 
I  wouldn't  wring  your  neck  for  a  thousand  dollars. 
[He  tightens  his  grip  until  ALMA  lets  out  a  squeal  that  brings 
RACHEL  from  the  door  at  the  left] 


102.  THE  PORCUPINE 

ALMA 

[Laughing 
Take  him  away,  Rachel.    He's  choking  me  to  death. 

RACHEL 

[Coming  into  the  room] 
Larry,  what  is  the  matter  with  you? 

[Impatiently] 

The  minute  you  come  into  this  house,  you  behave  like 
one  possessed. 

LARRY 

[With  his  arm  around  ALMA! 
Of  devils? 

RACHEL 

[With  a  sigh  of  despair] 

Is  there  another  house  like  this  in  all  the  world,  I 
wonder? 

LARRY 

I  can  assure  you  that  I  never  built  one  like  it.  If  I  did, 
Fillson  would  have  an  apoplectic  fit — and  probably  go 
off  in  it. 

RACHEL 

[Sharply,  and  with  a  kind  of  interest] 
What  do  you  mean  by  that?    You  mean  something. 

LARRY 

Didn't  Rollo  tell  you  about  Fillson? 

RACHEL 

[Shortly] 
No,  Rollo  did  not. 


THE  PORCUPINE  103 

LARRY 

[Sitting  by  the  table  and  tapping  his  boots] 
Well,  Rachel,  this  man  Fillson  is  a  very  able  fellow — and 
a  good  talker. 

[ROLLO  enters  from  the  vestibule] 
How  are  you,  Rollo,  you  didn't  walk  very  far. 

ROLLO 

[Pleased] 
So  you  are  talking  about  your  friend  Fillson,  are  you? 

[Comes  towards  the  table] 
Does  that  mean  that  you  are  going  to  change  your  clothes? 

LARRY 

Not  yet. 

[Surveying  the  group] 

But  if  I  am  even  so  much  as  the  grand  nephew  of  a  third 
rate  prophet,  there  is  going  to  be  a  general  changing  of 
clothes  in  this  house  before  the  bobolinks  are  with  us 
again. — By  the  way,  Alma,  do  you  know  that  you  look 
like  a  sick  pigeon  in  that  dress? 

ALMA 

You  had  better  change  your  boots,  before  you  talk 
about  my  dress. 

LARRY 

I'm  going  to  change  them. 

[Pointing  at  ALMA  with  his  stick] 

And  you  are  going  to  change  that.  And  Rachel.  .  .  . 
But  the  devil  only  knows  what  Rachel  is  going  to  do. 


104  THE  PORCUPINE 

RACHEL 

[Sitting  down] 
Do  any  of  us  know  what  we  are  going  to  do? 

LARRY 

Sometimes — if  we  live. 

RACHEL 

[With  an  effort] 
There  is  always  uncertainty,  then,  even  with  you. 

LARRY 

[Getting  up  and  speaking  with  ironic  deliberation] 
Yes,  my  dear  Rachel,  there  is.  But  we  are  not  going 
to  worship  Uncertainty,  and  we  are  not  going  to  get  down 
on  our  knees  and  beg  for  Uncertainty  to  come  and  keep 
house  for  us.  Stop  me,  if  I  am  too  cheerful;  but  at  the 
same  time,  if  I  can  instil  the  fertile  essence  of  Hope  into 
this  happy  household,  for  God's  sake,  let  me  do  it.  And 
whatever  else  you  do,  Rachel,  don't  put  yourself  between 
yourself  and  the  sun  any  longer,  and  don't  forever  imagine 
that  you  see  things  with  claws  on  'em  coming  after  you 
in  the  dark;  for  the  chances  are  that  they  aren't  coming. 

[To  the  others] 

And  I'm  not  saying  this  to  Rachel  alone.  You  had  far 
better — all  of  you — begin  to  get  yourselves  out  of  your  own 
light,  and  cease  to  torment  your  long-bedevilled  heads  with 
the  dark  doings  of  bogies  that  have  no  real  existence. 
That  will  be  all,  I  believe,  for  this  afternoon. 

[Pause] 
And  now,  Stuart,  if  you  have  nothing  better  to  do,  you 


THE  PORCUPINE  105 

might  come  for  "a  short  walk"  with  me,  and  possibly 
be  of  some  help  to  me  in  my  work. 
[Smiling] 

As  a  practical  man  of  affairs,  within  limits,  you  ought  to 
be  interested  in  my  work. 

STUART 

[Drily] 
All  right.    I'm  at  your  service. 

ALMA 

[With  sarcasm] 
Is  this  an  alarming  symptom.   Isn't  it  rather  early? 

LARRY 
It's  well  to  be  early. 

[To  ROLLO] 

You  remember  how  it  goes,  don't  you,  Rollo? 

[Points  at  ROLLO  with  his  stick  and  makes  passes  with  it  while 
he  intones  his  text] 

"Or  ever  the  silver  cord  be  loosed,  or  the  golden  bowl  be 
broken,  or  the  pitcher  be  broken  at  the  fountain,  or  the 
wheel  broken  at  the  cistern."  .  .  . 
[Laughing] 
Is  that  the  way  it  goes,  Rollo? 

RACHEL 

[Slowly  and  very  distinctly] 

Are  you  quite  sure,  Larry,  that  your  silver  cord  will 
hold  all  the  weight  that  may  come  upon  it? 


io6  TEE  PORCUPINE 

LARRY 

[With  a  frown  of  disappointment] 
Quite — if  there  are  no  flaws  in  the  silver. 

RACHEL 

[As  before] 
Let  us  hope,  then,  that  there  are  no  flaws  in  the  silver. 

LARRY 

[Puzzled] 
Let  us  hope  so. 

[Laughing] 

Come  along,  Stuart. 

[They  go  out  together.  ROLLO,  RACHEL,  and  ALMA  watch  them 
as  they  go,  and  then  gaze  at  the  dosed  door  behind  them,  as  if 
fascinated.] 

ROLLO 

[Trying  to  laugh] 
Is  that  fellow  insane,  or  is  he  merely  crazy? 

RACHEL 

[Looking  at  her  hands] 
I  have  a  fear  that  Larry  may  be  mistaken. 

ALMA 

[Troubled] 
You  speak  as  if  you  knew  more  than  we  do. 

RACHEL 

[Getting  up  and  going  to  the  table] 
We  shall  all  know  more — sometime — than  we  know  now. 


THE  PORCUPINE  107 

ALMA 

[To  ROLLO,  with  a  quick  laugh] 
Do  you  know  what  she  means? 

ROLLO 

[Moving  to  the  right} 

Rachel  has  been  a  mystery  to  me  for  several  years. 
[RACHEL  gives  him  a  searching  look  and  turns  away] 

Sometimes  I  call  her  my  porcupine — on  account  of  her 
sharp  spines. 

[He  looks  at  RACHEL  kindly,  but  rather  coldly] 

ALMA 

[Trying  to  laugh] 

I  don't  believe  Rachel  is  a  porcupine. 
[She  embraces  RACHEL  affectionately,  standing  behind  her] 
I  don't  believe  a  word  of  it. 

[She  talks  to  ROLLO  and  laughs,  while  RACHEL  tries  weakly  to 
escape] 

It's  all  nice  and  smooth  and  wiggly — like  a  seal.  It  might 
possibly  have  what-you-call-'ems — nippers — but  it  could 
n't  have  spines. 

ROLLO 

[Half  way  to  the  study  door] 
The  spines  are  there,  whether  you  feel  them  or  not. 

[He  stands  looking  for  a  moment  at  the  two  women.    RACHEL 
remains  motionless,  with  her  hands  folded,  looking  down] 


io8  THE  PORCUPINE 

ALMA 

[After  a  long  pause] 

Good  gracious !    Has  Rollo  caught  it  too? 
[ROLLO,  troubled  and  in  doubt,  moves  again  towards  the  centre  of 
the  room] 

RACHEL 

[To  ALMA,  kindly] 
You  poor  child. 

ROLLO 

[Coming  nearer  to  RACHEL] 
I  was  almost  saying  that  to  you,  Rachel. 
[He  looks  at  ALMA  with  a  slight  but  significant  nod  of  dismissal] 

ALMA 

[Standing  now  between  the  table  and  the  child's  room] 
Very  well,  Rollo.    But  don't  try  to  make  Rachel  laugh 
this  afternoon.    I  know  by  the  way  she  looks  that  she 
isn't  going  to  do  it. 

[She  pauses,  and  then  goes  into  the  child's  room] 

ROLLO 

[Rather  heavily] 

Rachel,  I  know  you  think  that  I  owe  you  an  explana 
tion;  and  it  may  be  possible  that  you  owe  something  of 
that  kind  to  me. 

[Affecting  a  lighter  manner] 

I  wonder  how  it  would  work  out  if  we  were  to  do  our  best 
to  explain  ourselves  to  each  other,  and  then  to  make 
an  inventory  of  what  we  have  left.  Larry  and  I  have 
had  a  talk,  as  you  know,  and  from  now  on  we  are  going 


THE  PORCUPINE  109 

to  be  friends.    And  Larry  wants  you  and  me  to  be  friends — 
instead  of  being  merely  man  and  wife. 

[Pause] 
Won't  you  say  something? 

RACHEL 

[Looking  around  her,  as  if  in  a  cage] 

Yes,  Rollo.  I'll  say  that  you  and  Larry,  between  you, 
are  going  to  drive  me  mad. 

ROLLO 

[Bewildered] 
Mad? 

RACHEL 
[Choking] 
Not  yet. 

ROLLO 
But,  Rachel!    You  poor  Rachel! 

RACHEL 

[With  difficulty] 

Yes — you  may  call  me  that  now,  if  you  like  to.  I  don't 
suppose  it  makes  any  difference  what  any  of  you  call  me 
now. 

ROLLO 

[After  an  uncomfortable  pause] 

I  wonder,  Rachel,  if  there  is  another  human  being  like 
you  on  the  face  of  the  earth. 

[With  a  sorry  attempt  at  levity] 
What  do  you  think  about  that  yourself? 


no  THE  PORCUPINE 

RACHEL 

[Speaking  with  great  effort,  as  she  arranges  things  mechanically 
on  the  table] 

Please  don't  make  me  talk  now,  Rollo.  For  I'm  not — 
I'm  not  very  well.  I  know  I  haven't  made  you  happy; 
and  I  deserve  to  have  suffered.  But  don't  make  me  talk 
now.  Don't  make  me  suffer  any  more  than  I  must. 

ROLLO 

[Throwing  up  his  hands  in  despair] 

Good  Lord  in  Heaven!  .  .  .    The  women  in  this  house! 
[RACHEL  stands  and  watches  him  as  he  moves  away  and  into  the 
study  on  the  right] 

RACHEL 

[To  herself,  in  a  low  and  frightened  voice] 
This  house!   This  house! 

[She  stands  watching  the  door  that  ROLLO  has  closed.  She  trembles, 
and  her  face  is  drawn  with  pain  and  fear.  Finally  she  goes 
to  the  book  case,  takes  the  vial  from  behind  the  old  book  on 
the  top  shelf,  and  looks  at  it  intently.  Then  she  looks  towards 
the  child's  room,  shakes  her  head  sorrowfully,  and  puts  the 
vial  back.  After  a  weary  gesture  of  despair,  she  moves  slowly 
towards  the  child's  room.  She  comes  to  the  door,  and  while 
her  hand  is  on  the  knob  the  curtain  falls. 

CURTAIN 


ACT  III 

The  same  room,  nine  o'clock  the  next  evening.  DR.  BEN  BAKER 
is  sitting  by  the  table,  smoking.  ROLLO  BREWSTER  is  stand 
ing  between  the  table  and  the  stove,  with  his  hands  behind  him. 
There  is  a  worried  expression  in  his  face. 

DR.  BEN 

[With  careless  impatience] 

Rollo,  whenever  I  smoke  in  this  room,  I  feel  as  if  I  were 
fumigating  the  office  of  a  Female  President.  Are  you 
sure  it's  all  right? 

ROLLO 

[Solemnly] 

Ben,  if  I  speak  with  you  concerning  a  very  personal 
matter,  may  I  be  sure  of  your  confidence? 

DR.  BEN 

[Brightening] 

I'm  a  jay-bird  of  a  doctor,  if  you  can't.  If  I  were  to 
tell  everything  I  know,  how  long  do  you  think  I'd  be 
allowed  to  peddle  poison  here  in  Tadmor? 

[Looking  at  his  watch] 

But  you'll  have  to  hurry  up.    I'm  due  now  at  McGilli- 
cuddy's. 

ROLLO 

Ben,  I'm  the  most  unhappy  man  on  earth, 
in 


H2  THE  PORCUPINE 

DR.  BEN 

I  don't  like  to  contradict  a  schoolmaster,  but  you  are 
nothing  of  the  sort. 

ROLLO 

[Putting  his  hand  to  his  head] 
You  don't  know!    You  don't  know! 

DR.  BEN 

[Rather  cynically] 
Eye-strain? 

ROLLO 
[With  emphasis] 
No. 

DR.  BEN 
[Grinning  to  himself] 

Well,  I  know  that  much,  at  any  rate.    And  you'd  better 
tell  me  the  rest. 

ROLLO 
[Coming  nearer] 

It  is  what  you  said  about  the  women  in  this  house — or 
partly  that. 

DR.  BEN 
Did  I  say  too  much? 

ROLLO 

Ben,  you  didn't  tell  me  whether  you  could  help  Rachel, 
or  whether  you  couldn't. 

DR.  BEN 

[As  if  surprised] 
I  help  Rachel?   What  do  you  take  me  for? 


TEE  PORCUPINE  113 

ROLLO 

[Embarrassed] 

Of  course  I  don't  really  expect  you  to  give  her  anything 
in  the  way  of  a — er — specific.  .  .  . 

DR.  BEN 

That's  lucky  for  me. 

ROLLO 

[Apologetic  and  insincere] 

But  mightn't  there  be  something  in  the  way  of  a — a 
general  restorative — a  tonic — a  nerve-food,  perhaps? 

DR.  BEN 

[With  rough  irony] 

Do  Rachel's  nerves  live  on  the  American  or  the  Euro 
pean  plan? 

ROLLO 

[After  a  gesture  of  despair] 
Ben! 

DR.  BEN 

[Blowing  a  large  cloud  of  smoke] 
Well? 

ROLLO 
[Slowly] 
Do  you  know  what  is  the  matter  with  Rachel? 

DR.  BEN 

[After  a  pause] 
No. 

[Looking  up] 

Rollo,  I  may  as  well  tell  you  that  Rachel  is  not  a  subject 


114  THE  PORCUPINE 

for  my  kind  of  care.  I  wish  I  could  do  something,  but  I 
can't. 

[Giving  him  a  searching  look] 

You  see,  Rollo,  when  you  began  this  evening,  I  thought 
you  were  going  to  talk  about  the  Blue  Lady,  as  Larry 
calls  her. 

ROLLO 
[Unhappily] 
Well,  I  was. 

[With  effort] 

Do  you  believe,  Ben,  that — well,  we'll  say  anything  that  I 
have  done — has  been  enough  to  make  Rachel  the  wretched 
and  unapproachable  woman  that  she  is? 

DR.  BEN 

[With  irony] 

Rachel  is  a  very  serious  person,  Rollo, — and  the  old 
order  has  a  way  of  not  changing  much  when  she's  mixed 
up  with  it. 

ROLLO 

[With  effort] 
Has  it  ever  changed? 

DR.  BEN 
[Getting  up] 

You  might  have  a  talk  with  Larry  about  that.  He  has 
more  settled  views  than  I  have, — and  he's  done  more 
travelling. 

ROLLO 

Yes — yes, — you  avoid  the  subject,  I  see. 


THE  PORCUPINE  115 

DR.  BEN 

[Taking  his  coat  from  a  chair] 

You  had  better  have  a  talk  with  Larry,  Rollo,  and  then 
tell  him  to  have  a  talk  with  Rachel. 

[Getting  into  his  coat  before  ROLLO  can  assist  him] 

Now  that  Larry  plays  the  part  of  a  financier,  he  may  be 
able  to  brighten  her  up  a  little.  You  aren't  going  to  tell 
me  anything,  I  see. 

[He  moves  towards  the  vestibule  door] 

ROLLO 

Plays  the  part? 

[Almost  faltering] 

You  don't  mean  to  tell  me  that  Larry  is  no  better  off  than 
he  appears  to  be? 

DR.  BEN 

[With  a  dry  laugh] 
You  needn't  worry  about  that. 

[LARRY  enters  from  the  vestibule.  He  is  well  dressed  in  ordinary 
business  clothes  and  wears  a  fur  trimmed  overcoat.  He  carries 
the  same  yellow  stick  as  before.  ROLLO  looks  at  him  with 
satisfaction] 

DR.  BEN 

[Buttoning  his  coat] 

How  are  you,  Larry? 

[Grinning] 

Do  you  want  a  ride  this  evening? 


n6  THE  PORCUPINE 

LARRY 

[Hanging  his  coat  in  the  vestibule] 

Thank  you,  Ben,  but  this  place  will  do  very  well  for  a 
while. 

[He  taps  his  leg  with  his  stick  and  looks  at  ROLLO] 

How  are  you,  Rollo? 

DR.  BEN 

Where  are  your  boots? 

LARRY 

They  are  still  in  existence. 

[He  comes  nearer  to  the  table] 

DR.  BEN 

[Grinning  to  himself] 
Well,  good  night. 

LARRY 

[Amused] 
Where  are  you  going,  Ben? 

DR.  BEN 

[At  the  vestibule  door,  with  dry  emphasis] 
I'm  going  to  make  out  McGillicuddy's  bill. 

LARRY 

[Laughing] 
Good  for  you. 

[DR.  BEN  looks  at  LARRY,  then  at  ROLLO,  grins  again  to  himself, 
and  goes  out.   ROLLO  comes  nearer  to  LARRY] 

ROLLO 
Larry,  I  realize  that  I  have  done  you  a  great  injustice. 


THE  PORCUPINE  117 

LARRY 

No  matter  about  that  now.  Besides,  it  was  more  than 
half  my  fault,  anyhow. 

ROLLO 

[Suavely] 

But  you  must  not  think  for  a  moment  that  I  fail  to  ap 
preciate  your  own  good  fortune,  or  that  I  fail  to  regret 
my  unpardonable  lack  of  courtesy  in  the  past. 

LARRY 

[Laughing] 

Now  to  the  devil  with  your  apologies  and  with  your 
unpardonable  lack  of  courtesy  in  the  past.  You  and  I 
aren't  going  to  make  faces  at  each  other  any  longer,  I  hope; 
and  we  aren't  going  to  waste  any  more  time  in  raking  over 
dead  ashes. 

ROLLO 

[Putting  his  hand  to  his  forehead} 
Dead  ashes!  .  .  . 

[Putting  his  hands  behind  him] 

Well,  Larry,  Ben  doesn't  give  me  much  encouragement 
in  regard  to  Rachel. 

LARRY 

[Cheerfully] 
How  much  does  Ben  know  about  Rachel? 

ROLLO 

[Shaking  his  head  and  sighing] 
Not  very  much — I  suppose. 
[He  takes  a  few  steps ,  heavily,  with  his  hands  behind  him] 


Ii8  THE  PORCUPINE 

But  there's  one  thing,  Larry.    I  don't  believe  there's  much 
in  what  I  told  you  yesterday  about.  .  .  . 
[He  stops] 

LARRY 

About  Stuart's  wife? 

[ALMA  enters  quietly  from  the  right] 
Then  you  and  Ben  have  had  a  talk  about  the  Blue — 

[He  sees  ALMA] 
the  Blue— 

[Pretending  not  to  see  her,  and  making  grimaces  as  he  speaks] 
— the  Blue — it  may  have  been  the  Blue  Alsatian  Moun 
tains,  or  the  Blue  Danube.  I  rather  think  it  was  the  Blue 
Juniata.  Old  Eben  Imbro  used  to  sing  that  song  when 
he  was  drunk,  and  I  haven't  heard  it  since.  "Wild  roved 
an  Injun  girl,  Bright  Alfarata."  The  old  boy  used  to  sing 
it,  and  he  used  to  shed  tears.  I  couldn't  have  been  more 
than  four  or  five  years  old. 

ALMA 

[Coming  forward] 
Are  you  any  older  now? 

LARRY 

[Turning] 

I  believe,  Alma,  that  you  and  Rachel  could  fall  together 
down  two  flights  of  stairs  and  not  make  noise  enough  to 
scare  a  cat.  How  are  you? 

ALMA 

[Smiling] 

But  we  might  shed  tears — like  old  Mr.  Imbro.  I  am 
very  well,  thank  you. 


THE  PORCUPINE  119 

LARRY 

Why  do  you  look  at  me  like  that?    Do  you  miss  my 
boots? 

ALMA 

Because  you  are  almost  presentable.    What  has  become 
of  Ben? 

LARRY 

[Taking  her  by  the  ears] 

The  Wild  Man  of  Borneo  has  just  gone  along.   You  may 
never  see  him  again. 

[RACHEL  enters  from  the  left  and  stops] 

In  which  case,  you  will  be  sorry  that  you  didn't  marry 
him  when  he  asked  you. 

[He  lets  ALMA  go] 

RACHEL 

[To  LARRY,  with  forced  carelessness] 

So  you  have  decided  to  dress  like  a  human  being  at 
last,  have  you?   Did  you  think  you  were  deceiving  me? 

[Wearily] 
Look  at  that  hand. 

LARRY 

[Looks  at  his  hand  and  turns  it  over] 

Why — yes;  I  suppose  I  did — more  or  less.    May  I  ask 
why  you  have  been  so  still  about  it? 

RACHEL 
[Glancing  at  ROLLO! 
I  don't  know.   I  may  have  had  a  reason. 


120  THE  PORCUPINE 

LARRY 

[To  ROLLO,  after  studying  RACHEL  with  amusement} 
Well,  Rollo,  what  are  you  thinking  about? 

ROLLO 

[Solemnly] 

I  have  much  to  think  about.    I  have  felt  for  some  time 
past  that  something  is  going  to  happen. 

LARRY 

[Cheerfully] 
Well,  if  it's  going  to  happen,  we'll  have  to  let  it  happen. 

ALMA 
Do  you  understand  these  people,  Rachel? 

RACHEL 
I  am  not  sure  that  I  do. 

ALMA 

Well,  I'm  sure  that  I  don't;  and  if  they  aren't  going  to 
tell  me  what  they  mean,  I'm  going  to  bed. 

ROLLO 

Alma,  don't  be  so  impatient.    Nothing  is  going  to  hap 
pen  this  evening  to  disturb  you. 

ALMA 
How  do  I  know  that?    The  house  may  burn  down. 

RACHEL 

This  house  will  never  burn  down. 


THE  PORCUPINE  121 

LARRY 

[Laughing] 

Well,  Rachel,  you  might  have  shouted  the  glad  tidings 
a  little  more  joyfully,  it  seems  to  me. 

[Offering  her  a  chair] 
Don't  you  think  you  had  better  sit  down? 

RACHEL 

[Sitting  down] 

Are  you  trying  to  make  me  laugh  again? 
[She  smiles  faintly] 

LARRY 

[Patting  her  head] 

No,  but  you  might  look  a  bit  more  cheerful,  all  the 
same,  for  I  can  hear  someone  at  the  door.  It  is  probably 
a  homicidal  incendiary. 

[Turning  about,  as  STUART  HOOVER  enters] 
No,  it  isn't.    It's  Stuart. 

STUART 
Good  evening. 

[To  LARRY] 

So  you  have  come  out  at  last. 

LARRY 

I  am  as  you  see  me. — What's  the  matter?  You  look 
as  if  you  had  won  a  case. 

STUART 

[Trying  not  to  smile] 
I  haven't,  but  I  have  brought  some  news. 


122  THE  PORCUPINE 

LARRY 
Good,  or  bad? 

STUART 

[Taking  ojf  his  overcoat} 
My  wife  has  run  away. 

LARRY 

You  poor  devil. 

ALMA 

[Astonished} 
Why,  Stuart!    What  do  you  mean? 

LARRY 

[To  ALMA] 
He  means  that  his  wife  has  run  away. 

ROLLO 

[Gasping} 

But  are  you  sure  that  you  have  made  no  mistake?    This 
is  terrible. 

LARRY 
Of  course  it  is. 

RACHEL 

[Frowning 
Larry! 

ALMA 

[Her  voice  trembling 
But  why  don't  you  let  Stuart  tell  us  what  he  has  to  say? 


THE  PORCUPINE  123 

ROLLO 

[Carefully] 
By  all  means,  Stuart.    Are  there  no — particulars? 

STUART 

[Returning  from  the  vestibule,  where  he  has  hung  his  coat] 
Yes,  there  is  one  very  particular  particular,  and  I  have 
brought  it  with  me. 

[Takes  a  letter  from  his  pocket  and  gives  it  to  ROLLO] 
There.    Tell  me  what  you  think  of  that. 

LARRY 

[After  watching  ROLLO'S  expression  as  he  reads] 
What's  the  matter,  Rollo?    Is  it  written  in  Esperanto? 

[ROLLO  looks  at  LARRY  severely;  LARRY  turns  to  STUART] 
Well,  Stuart,  did  she  leave  any  regards? 

STUART 

[Drily] 
No,  but  she  left  almost  everything  else. 

\With  unconscious  innocence] 

I  found  the  cat  lying  on  what  I  should  have  called  her 
best  dress. 

LARRY 

It  looks  to  me  as  if  you  and  the  cat  would  have  to  match 
nickels  for  that  dress. 

ROLLO 

[Looking  from  the  letter  to  STUART] 

My  dear  Stuart,  of  course  there  is  no  need  of  my  as 
suring  you — 


124  THE  PORCUPINE 

STUART 

[Quickly] 
Oh  no, — none  whatever. 

ROLLO 

[Reading  again] 

This  is  most  astonishing — most  astonishing. — Really, 
you  must  all  excuse  me,  for  I  must  think  this  over. 

[Impressively] 
It  may  not  be  too  late. 

STUART 

[Drily] 
For  what? 
[They  watch  ROLLO  as  he  goes  to  the  study  and  disappears] 

LARRY 

[With  a  sigh  and  a  shrug] 
Well,  Rollo  is  going  to  think  it  over. 

[Taking  letter  from  the  table] 
May  I  read  this? 

STUART 
[Suspiciously] 

Oh  yes,  you  may  read  it.    And  then  you  may  tell  us 
all  how  you  like  it. 

LARRY 

In  that  case,  here  goes. 

[Reads  aloud] 

"Dear  Stuart:  You  and  I  have  lived  in  Hell  together  for 
ten  years." 

[To  STUART,  sympathetically] 


THE  PORCUPINE  125 

That's  too  long.    That's  altogether  too  long. 
[Reads] 

"I  know  that  everything  would  go  from  bad  to  worse  if 
we  were  to  remain  as  we  are,  and  I  know  that  you  will  not 
shed  many  tears  when  I  tell  you  that  I  am  out  of  your 
life  forever. — Louise." 

[Pause] 

What  do  you  think  of  that,  Rachel? 

ALMA 

It  might  be  best  if  we  were  to  let  Rollo  do  the  thinking. 
[LARRY  smiles  on  her  approvingly  and  nods] 

STUART 

[Glancing  towards  the  study} 

Rollo  will  have  to  do  some  pretty  heavy  thinking  before 
he  brings  Louise  back  to  Tadmor.  When  she  tells  me 
that  she  is  out  of  my  life  forever,  she  isn't  asking  me  to 
meet  her  at  the  station. 

[To  RACHEL] 

You  needn't  look  at  me  like  that,  Rachel;  and  you  needn't 
ask  me  to  make  a  funeral  of  this  business.  For  I  can't, 
—that's  all. 

[They  watch  RACHEL  as  she  goes  to  the  child's  room  and  disappears] 

LARRY 

[With  a  sigh  and  another  shrug] 
Now  Rachel  is  going  to  think  it  over. 


126  THE  PORCUPINE 

STUART 

[Looking  from  the  door  to  LARRY] 

Does  she  expect  me  to  set  up  a  wailing  and  a  gnashing 
of  teeth  over  this  affair?  Won't  you  try  to  make  her  under 
stand  my  feelings  a  little?  I  haven't  been  myself  for  ten 
years;  and  I  have  still  to  find  out  how  much  of  me  there  is 
left. 

LARRY 

[Very  distinctly] 

I  fancy  that  you  and  Rachel  are  pretty  much  alike,  so 
far  as  that  goes.  From  all  that  I  can  gather,  she  has  not 
been  herself  for  ten  years. 

[Smiling  faintly] 
And  she  doesn't  expect  you  to  wail  or  to  gnash  your  teeth. 

STUART 
[Reluctantly] 

I  know.  But  I  shall  never  understand  Rachel  if  I  live 
to  be  two  thousand  years  old. 

LARRY 

Oh,  cheer  up.   You  imagine  things. 

STUART 

I  wish  I  could  imagine  what  she  expects  me  to  do. 
[Pause] 

LARRY 

[With  less  confidence,  as  he  moves  towards  the  child's  room] 
Well,  Stuart,  I'll  try  to  find  out  what  she  has  to  say 
for  herself.    And  in  the  meantime  you  are  to  remember 


THE  PORCUPINE  127 

thct  everything  in  this  life  has  to  change,  sooner  or  later, 
— oie  way  or  the  other.    It's  hard,  sometimes,  to  get  that 
simple  fact  into  our  simple  heads. 
[He  looks  at  STUART  and  ALMA  as  he  pauses  at  the  door.    He 

knocks  lightly  and  goes  in] 

[STUART  takes  up  the  letter  and  pretends  to  read  it.  ALMA  looks 
at  him  furtively  over  the  top  of  a  magazine  from  across  the 
table} 

ALMA 

Haven't  you  made  out  that  letter  yet? 

STUART 

This  letter  doesn't  appear  to  interest  you  to  any  great 
extent. 

ALMA 

[Smiling] 

On  the  contrary,  I  call  it  one  of  the  most  interesting 
letters  ever  written.  And  I  thought  Larry  read  it  very 
well, — didn't  you? 

STUART 

[Drily] 
Larry's  elocution  was  entirely  satisfactory. 

[Frowning 

And  I  am  not  going  to  ask  Larry  any  questions — this 
evening. 

ALMA 

[Looking  at  the  magazine] 
I  shouldn't,  if  I  were  in  your  place. 
[Looking  up] 


128  THE  PORCUPINE 

But  whether  you  ask  Larry  any  questions  or  not,  I  have  a 
great  mind  to  ask  you  one. 

STUART 
I'll  answer  it  with  pleasure — if  I  know  enough. 

ALMA 

Well  then,  I  have  a  great  mind  to  ask  you  how  it  feels 
to  be — deserted. 

STUART 

[Impulsively] 

Why  don't  you  ask  me  how  it  feels  to  be.  ...  But 
I'd  better  stop.  If  I  say  anything  at  all,  I  shall  say  too 
much.  .  .  .  Alma,  you  may  think  whatever  you  like 
this  evening,  and  you  may  say  whatever  you  like,  but  for 
God's  sake  do  me  the  kindness — if  not  the  justice — to  say 
to  yourself  that  I'm  not  the  fellow  that  you  used  to  know — 
or  any  relation  to  him.  Before  long  I  shall  begin  to  know 
whether  or  not  I  can  bring  that  fellow  back  to  life  again; 
and  then  perhaps  you  will  tell  me  to  what  extent  you  recog 
nize  the  talented  young  idiot  who  used  to  lie  awake  nights, 
and  listen  to  the  rain  on  the  roof,  and  think  of  his  highly 
commendable  future  plans. 

[ALMA  laughs  at  him] 
Well,  what's  the  matter  with  you  now? 

ALMA 

I  haven't  heard  you  say  so  much  as  that — all  at  once — 
since  the  time  that  you  were  talking  about. 
[She  becomes  suddenly  serious] 


THE  PORCUPINE  129 

STUART 

[With  tactless  self-depreciation] 

You  mean  the  time  when  I  used  to  be  myself.  I  don't 
suppose  I  was  much  to  gather  roses  for,  even  in  those 
days,  but  I  was  at  any  rate  myself.  And  if  I  could  have 
foreseen  what  was  coming  to  me — my  failure  in  the  law, 
and  that  fool  marriage  in  addition.  .  .  . 

ALMA 

[Quietly] 
I  have  never  looked  upon  that  as  a  marriage. 

STUART 
[As  before] 

The  devil  only  knows  what  it  was.  But  it's  over  now, 
and  it's  gone;  and  I  suppose  the  best  part  of  my  life  has 
gone  with  it.  I  suppose  that  was  a  part  of  my  education. 
Some  of  us  require  more  schooling  than  others — and  we 
get  it. 

ALMA 

[Looking  at  the  magazine] 

Ten  years  would  seem  to  be  rather  a  long  course  in  that 
school. 

STUART 
You  said  that  as  if  you  didn't  hate  me. 

ALMA 

[Frowning] 
I  shall  not  like  you — if  you  say  that  again. 


130  THE  PORCUPINE 

STUART 
You  might  have  married. 

ALMA 

[With  a  forlorn  laugh] 
I  know  it.    Let  me  see. 

[Counting  her  fingers] 

One,  two,  three,  four,  five,  and — funny  little  Judge  Lunt, 
with  his  red  nose.  I  might  say  five  and  a  half,  but  that 
would  be  wicked.  .  .  .  There  are  some  women  who 
can't  say  even  five — if  that's  a  thing  to  be  sorry  for. 

STUART 

And  there  are  some  women  who  are  too  good  for  more 
than  one  man  in  ten  thousand. 

ALMA 

[Laughing  nervously] 
And  he  seems  always  to  escape. 

STUART 
Then  you  ought  to  be  glad  that  Larry  is  your  brother. 

ALMA 
That  wasn't  the  right  thing  for  you  to  say. 

STUART 

I  know  it — but  I  said  it  all  the  same.    Very  likely  I  shall 
continue  to  say  things  like  that  for  the  rest  of  my  life. 

ALMA 
I  hope  not. 


THE  PORCUPINE  131 

STUART 

And  I  can't  help  knowing  that  you  are  never  going  to 
have  the  same  opinion  of  me  again  that  you  had  once. 

ALMA 

Possibly  not — if  you  make  me  see  too  clearly  why  I 
shouldn't. 

STUART 

[Studying  her  face] 

You  didn't  mean  very  much  when  you  said  that.    You 
said  it  as  if  you  were  trying  to  make  me  laugh. 

ALMA 

Aren't  we  always  trying  to  make  somebody  laugh — in 
this  house? 

STUART 

Do  you  think  Larry  will  succeed  in  making  Rachel 
laugh? 

ALMA 

[Putting  her  finger  to  her  lips] 
Be  careful. 

[LARRY  comes  out  of  the  child's  room.  His  manner  is  grave,  irri 
tated  and  disappointed,  but  his  face  brightens  at  the  sight  of 
STUART  and  ALMA] 

LARRY 

[With  subdued  humor] 

Well,   Stuart,  are  you  becoming  reconciled  to  your 
desolation? 


132  THE  PORCUPINE 

STUART 

[Putting  the  letter  into  his  pocket] 

I'm  not  going  to  ask  any  questions,  and  I'm  not  going 
to  answer  any  questions — this  evening. 

[He  moves  towards  the  vestibule] 
Good  night. 

[Putting  on  his  overcoat] 
Good  night. 

LARRY  AND  ALMA 

[As  he  goes  out} 
Good  night. 

LARRY 

[Rubbing  his  hands  thoughtfully] 

And  so  there's  one  more  poor  devil — going  home  to  a 
flameless  hearth  and  a  hungry  cat. 

[Pause] 
And  here — is  our  good  friend  Rollo. 

[ROLLO  comes  out  of  the  study  in  a  state  of  dejection] 
Well,  Rollo,  have  you  thought  it  over? 

ROLLO 

[Sadly] 
Yes,  I  have  thought  it  over. 

LARRY 

You  are  not  very  enthusiastic. 

ROLLO 

[Putting  his  hand  to  his  head] 

Possibly  not.    I  should  like  to  know  what  others  have 
to  say. 


THE  PORCUPINE  133 

LARRY 

Do  you  mean  Rachel? 

ROLLO 
Yes;  and  I  mean  you,  as  well  as  Rachel. 

ALMA 

[Still  at  the  right  of  the  table] 

I  don't  seem  to  be  included.  Perhaps  I'd  better  go  to 
bed,  and  count  sheep. 

ROLLO 

You  are  included  as  much  as  any  of  us,  Alma;  but  just 
at  this  time  I  would  rather.  .  .  . 

ALMA 

[Moving  to  the  right] 

You  needn't  say  any  more.  Good  night,  Rollo.  Good 
night,  Larry. 

[She  smiles  and  goes  out  slowly] 

ROLLO 

[Watching  ALMA  as  she  disappears] 

I  am  beginning  to  understand,  Larry,  hard  as  it  is  for 
me  to  say  it  now — that  I  shall  have  a  great  deal  to  thank 
you  for  in  the  future. 

LARRY 

[Laughing] 
No  more  of  that. 

ROLLO 

You  know,  of  course,  without  my  telling  you,  that  I  am 
going  through  fire.  But  I  ask  you  to  believe,  with  me, 


134  THE  PORCUPINE 

that  I  shall  come  out  of  it  a  stronger  man  for  the  work 
that  lies  before  me. 

LARRY 

My  dear  fellow,  you  are  going  to  be  a  regular  Shadrach. 

ROLLO 

You  may  say  that,  if  you  like;  but  I  don't  believe  that  I 
shall  fail,  unless  it  be  in  one  direction. 

[Glancing  towards  the  child's  room] 
And  with  your  assistance,  I  may  succeed,  even  there. 

LARRY 

[Rather  drily] 
I  understand  you,  Rollo. 

ROLLO 

[Going  towards  the  door] 
I  knew  you  would  understand  me. 

[He  knocks  lightly] 
Are  you  there,  Rachel? 
[RACHEL  comes  out  and  looks  at  the  two  men  as  if  frightened] 

RACHEL 
Are  you  two  alone? 

ROLLO 

[Giving  her  a  chair] 

We  are.    And  now,  my  dear  Rachel, 

[His  manner  becomes  more  studied  and  oratorical  as  he  continues] 
I  wish  to  tell  you,  before  Larry,  that  I  shall  depend  from 
now  on  upon  your  assistance,  and  upon  your  belief  in  my 


THE  PORCUPINE  135 

power  to  carry  on  the  work  that  I  have  undertaken.  There 
has  been  some  talk  in  the  town — some  very  idle  talk — and 
there  will  be  more;  but  people  do  not  talk  forever,  even 
here  in  Tadmor. 

[LARRY  grins  and  applauds  silently] 

How  much  you  are  able  to  forget,  I  do  not  know.  But 
you  can  tell  me — you  will  tell  me — you  must  tell  me — 
how  much  you  are  willing  to  forgive.  And  you  must 
understand  my — my  position,  if  we  are  to  work  together, 
— as  you  must  understand  my — my  purpose,  if  we  are 
to  live  together. 

[He  wipes  his  forehead} 

RACHEL 

[With  difficulty] 

You  don't  know  what  you  are  saying,  Rollo,  when  you 
ask  me  to  forgive.  .  .  . 

[She  looks  hopelessly  at  LARRY] 

ROLLO 
I  might  have  known.    I  might  have  known. 

RACHEL 

No — no !  I  shouldn't  have  said  that.  You  don't  under 
stand.  You  can't  understand.  I  only  mean,  Rollo,  that  I 
cannot  help  you  very  much.  I  would  do  anything  for 
you — or  everything,  if  I  could — but  I  can't  do  much 
now.  ...  I  am  not  very  strong  now.  .  .  . 

ROLLO 
And  yet,  you  don't  say  that  you  forgive  me. 


136  THE  PORCUPINE 

RACHEL 

I  forgive  everybody. 

[Bitterly] 

Why  shouldn't  I  forgive  everybody? 

ROLLO 

[Going  slowly  to  the  right] 

Well,  Rachel,  I  will  not  ask  you  to  say  more  this  even 
ing. 

[Coldly,  with  a  sigh  of  weariness] 

I  will  leave  you  alone  with  Larry.  You  may  find  it  easier 
to  talk  with  him,  and  you  may  come  to  view  things  through 
a  clearer  glass  tomorrow. 

[He  goes  to  the  lower  door,  which  he  holds  open  while  he  waits] 
Larry. 

LARRY 
Well,  Rollo? 

ROLLO 
Try  to — try  to  make  her  laugh.    Good  night. 

LARRY 

[Drily] 
Good  night,  Rollo. 

[ROLLO  goes  out  and  LARRY  stands  looking  down  at  RACHEL,  who 
leans  forward  with  her  elbow  on  her  knee] 

LARRY 

[With  forced  humor] 
Rollo  still  wants  you  to  laugh. 


THE  PORCUPINE  137 

RACHEL 

[Leaning  back} 
O,  you  children!  .  .  .    You  poor  children! 

LARRY 

[Seriously] 

Yes,  Rachel, — that's  just  about  what  we  are — children. 
The  best  and  the  worst,  the  wisest  and  the  silliest  of  us — 
children.  Tumbling,  blundering,  groping  children, — 
getting  our  heads  bumped  and  our  fingers  burned, 

[She  gives  him  a  quick,  frightened  look] 

and  making  ourselves  generally  uncomfortable.  But  all 
this  needn't  keep  us  from  growing,  or  from  looking  now 
and  then  as  if  we  had  not  committed  the  unpardonable 
sin  in  being  born. 

RACHEL 
[Looking  at  him] 
What  else  are  you  going  to  say  to  me? 

LARRY 

Didn't  Rollo  say  enough? 

RACHEL 
I  listened  while  he  spoke  to  me.    What  more  could  I  do? 

LARRY 

You  should  know  better  than  I.    Aren't  you  his  wife? 

RACHEL 

[Despairingly] 
I  don't  know  what  I  am. 

[She  leans  forward  and  covers  her  face  with  her  hands] 


138  THE  PORCUPINE 

LARRY 

[Mechanically] 
You  married  him,  didn't  you? 

RACHEL 

[Crushing  her  handkerchief  in  her  fingers] 
Larry,  I  want  you  to  promise  me  something. 

LARRY 
[As  before] 
Is  it  something  easy? 

RACHEL 

[With  difficulty] 

I  am  going  to  ask  you  to  promise  me  that  you  will  always 
be  good — always  be  good — to  the  child. 
[She  looks  to  the  left] 

LARRY 

[Trying  to  laugh] 

Of  course  I'll  be  good  to  him.    I've  promised  you  that 
already. 

RACHEL 
[Looking  up  at  him] 

And  remember  that  he  cares  for  you — so  much — oh, 
so  much  more — than  he  cares  for  me. 

LARRY 

Pardon  me,  Rachel,  but  now  you  are — why,  you  are 
talking  nonsense.  .  .  .    Aren't  you  his  mother? 


THE  PORCUPINE  139 

RACHEL 
[Choking 
Yes. 

LARRY 

Isn't — isn't  Rollo  good  to  him? 

RACHEL 

You  must  know  that  he  doesn't  care  for  Rollo  as  he 
does  for  you. 

LARRY 

[Beating  his  palm  with  his  stick] 
I  have  tried  not  to  know  it. 

[He  moves  about  restlessly] 

RACHEL 

[Getting  up  slowly  and  looking  at  him] 
Larry. 

[He  nods] 

Is  there  anything  else  that  you  have  tried  not  to  know? 
[She  speaks  very  distinctly] 

LARRY 

Rachel,  a  fellow  would  need  an  interpreter  to  understand 
you  this  evening. 

RACHEL 
Have  you  tried  not  to  know — 

[She  stops,  her  voice  broken  with  pain] 

Have  you  tried  not  to  know  that  there  are  flaws  in  the 
silver — the  silver  cord — that  you  have  said  so  much  about? 


140  THE  PORCUPINE 

LARRY 

[Frowning] 
Is  this  your  notion  of  trying  to  help  me? 

RACHEL 
I  would  help  you  if  I  could,  Larry. 

LARRY 

[Goes  half  way  to  the  stove  and  stops,  speaking  slowly] 
So  you  think,  do  you,  that  my  "silver  cord"  may  not 
bear  the  strain  that  will  be  put  upon  it?    You  said  some 
thing  like  that  yesterday  and  I  was  sorry  to  hear  you  say 
it.    For  if  you  refuse  your  assistance,  I — 

[With  a  shrug] 
well,  I  don't  know.  .  .  . 

RACHEL 
How  can  I  refuse  what  I  do  not  have  to  offer? 

LARRY 

[With  a  sorry  laugh] 
Well,  if  you  have  determined  that  I  shall  fail.  .  .  . 

RACHEL 

[Very  earnestly] 

I  have  determined  nothing,  Larry.    I  am  only  unfor 
tunate  enough  to  see  already  what  is  not  clear  to  you. 

[Going  nearer  to  him] 

Dear  Larry,  don't  you  know  that  men  like  you — men 
who  would  set  the  individual  apart  from  the  community — 
are  always — almost  always — disappointed? 


THE  PORCUPINE  141 

LARRY 

[Carelessly] 
Do  you  call  Tadmor  a  community? 

RACHEL 
[Simply] 

I  call  Tadmor  a  part  of  the  world  in  which  you  and  I  are 
living. 

LARRY 

[Rubbing  his  chin] 
Hum !   That  was  an  easy  one,  wasn't  it? 

RACHEL 

Larry,  whatever  you  have  done  since  you  came  back, 
or  whatever  you  may  hope  to  do,  I  know  you  mean  to  do 
what  you  think  is  right. 

[Wistfully] 

But  perhaps  it  doesn't  matter  so  very  much  what  you 
mean  .  .  .  now.  For  life  is  not  so  simple  as  you  would 
have  it,  or  so  easily  changed.  I  may  not  know  very  much, 
but  I  know  that  life  is  not  so  simple  as  you  would  have  it. 

LARRY 

Well,  Rachel,  you  seem  to  be  doing  the  best  you  can 
to  keep  your  life  as  it  is.  Don't  you  know,  my  dear  child, 
that  everything  is  going  to  be  different  after  this? 

[Glancing  towards  the  window] 

Don't  you  know  that  a  certain  woman  is  out  of  the  way, 
and  that  Alma  is  going  to  be  happy  at  last,  and.  .  .  . 


142  THE  PORCUPINE 

RACHEL 

[Unhappily] 
What  will  become  of  Rollo? 

LARRY 

[Puzzled] 
That  was  a  strange  question  for  you  to  ask. 

[Pause] 
Rachel,  you  don't  care  for  Rollo  as  you  should. 

[He  speaks  without  conviction,  and  with  effort] 

RACHEL 

[Crushing  her  handkerchief,  and  trembling] 
I  do  not  love  him — no.  ...  I  do  not  even  like  him.  .  .  . 
I  never  did — and  I  never  can.  .  .  . 

LARRY 

[  With  an  incredulous  frown] 
Then  why  in  the  name  of  Satan  did  you  marry  him? 

RACHEL 

[Struggling  with  her  emotion] 

I  married  him  because  I  was — because  I  was  afraid!  I 
married  him  because  I  was  mad ! — and  all  alone !  O  Larry, 
that  was  the  worst  of  it — I  was  all  alone.  I  didn't  know! 
I  was  afraid !  I  thought  of  you  all  the  time,  and  I  wanted 
you — you — you!  There  was  nothing  else  for  me  in  all 
the  world  but  you — and  you  were  gone!  And  I  didn't 
know  where  you  were  for  more  than  a  year.  There  was 
no  one  left  but  you — and  you  were  gone.  I  was  mad! — 
I  told  Alma  that— and  you  were  in  that  room.  .  .  . 


THE  PORCUPINE  143 

LARRY 

[After  a  pause,  during  which  he  stands  looking  at  the  door  of  the 
child's  room] 

Good  God!  .  .  .  What  have  I  been  doing  since  I  came 
here!  What  have  I  been  saying!  ...  I  knew  nothing 
about  it — and  I  ran  away! 

RACHEL 

[As  before] 

Rollo  wanted  me — but  I  almost  made  him  take  me.  I 
was  afraid,  Larry!  I  was  mad — mad — mad!  .  .  . 

LARRY 

[Taking  her  hands] 
Are  there  others  who  know  this? 

RACHEL 
Alma  knows  it. 

LARRY 
And  Rollo? 

RACHEL 
I  don't  know.  ...    I  have  not  made  him  happy. 

LARRY 

[Taking  her  hand] 
Rachel, — won't  you  look  at  me? 

RACHEL 

[Looking  at  him] 

Yes.  ...  If  anything  should  happen  to  me,  Larry — 
I  am  not  very  strong — you  will  tell  Rollo  some  time — you 
will  have  to  tell  him  some  time — and  your  boy  will  go 


144  THE  PORCUPINE 

with  you — wherever  you  take  him.  ...    He  will  be  happy 
with  you.  .  .  . 

LARRY 

\With  new  determination] 

Of  course  he  will — and  so  will  you.  Don't  we  all  belong 
together?  Don't  you  know  that  you  are  going  with  us? 

RACHEL 

[With  better  command  of  herself] 

If  you  had  stayed — ten  years  ago — I  would  have  gone 
with  you  to  the  ends  of  the  earth.  .  .  .  But  you  didn't 
stay — and  you  didn't  know. 

LARRY 

[Slowly] 

You  are  right,  I  did  not  know. 

[He  goes  to  the  child's  room,  looks  in,  and  closes  the  door  softly] 
He  is  asleep  now. 
[They  go  towards  each  other,  meeting  between  the  table  and  the  door] 

RACHEL 

Don't  wake  him, — let  him  sleep.  And  some  day  let 
him  know  .  .  .  some  day  when  I  am  gone. 

LARRY 

[Putting  his  hands  to  her  cheeks] 
You  poor  child,  what  do  you  think  you  are  saying  now? 

[Smiling] 

You  and  I  are  not  going  to  be  struck  dead  by  thunder 
bolts. 

[He  lets  her  go] 


THE  PORCUPINE  145 

RACHEL 

Thank  you,  Larry — you  mean  to  be  good  to  me, — but 
I — I  seem  to  have  lost  the  threads  of  everything. 

LARRY 

[Promptly] 

But  I  have  not.  And  there's  where  my  "silver  cord" 
comes  in. 

RACHEL 

[With  pathetic  insistence] 

I  have  lost  my  hold  on  everything  now,  Larry — or  it 
seems  as  if  I  had — on  everything  except  my  life-long  love 
for  you. 

[With  reckless  frankness] 

Do  you  know  what  I  mean? — my  love — my  life-long  love 
for  you! 

LARRY 

[Bitterly] 
Was  it  like  this  when  I  ran  away  from  you? 

RACHEL 

[More  quietly] 

You  never  did  run  away  from  me.  You  could  never 
have  gone  away — if  you  had  known.  .  .  .  But  you  did 
not  know — and  so  you  went  away. 

LARRY 

[With  energy] 

I  did— God  help  me!— and  now  I  have  come  back  for 
you  again. 


146  THE  PORCUPINE 

RACHEL 

[Shaking  her  head  slowly] 
Oh,  Larry,  there  is  so  much  that  you  do  not  know. 

LARRY 

I  know  the  laws  of  this  State — or  one  of  them.  And 
fortunately  there  is  one  more  important  thing  that  I 
know;  and  that  is  that  you  and  the  boy  are  going  to  leave 
this  ghost-ridden  old  landmark  and  come  with  me.  If 
you  are  worrying  about  Rollo,  you  needn't  do  it  any 
longer.  Rollo  needs  a — what  does  he  call  it?  Oh  yes,  a 
change  of  air.  You  needn't  worry  about  Rollo. 

RACHEL 

[Hopelessly} 

No — I  shall  not — any  more. 

[Pause] 
Tell  me  something,  Larry — 

[Touching  his  sleeve] 
Tell  me  if  you  knew — then — how  much  I  loved  you! 

LARRY 

[Frowning] 
I  don't  believe  I  knew  much  of  anything— then. 

RACHEL 
[Her  voice  trembling] 
Do  you  know  how  much  I  love  you  now? 


THE  PORCUPINE  147 

LARRY 

[Trying  to  smile] 

What  the  devil  do  you  expect  a  fellow  to  say  when  you 
ask  him  a  question  like  that? 

RACHEL 

[Sorrowfully] 

No,  you  don't.  You  never  can.  You  have  never  loved 
me  very  much,  you  see,  and  that  is  why  you  will  never  be 
able  to  know. 

LARRY 

[With  obvious  difficulty] 

But  how  do  you  know  how  much  I  have — loved  you, — 
or  how  much  I  love  you  now? 

RACHEL 
If  you  loved  me  now,  you  would  not  ask  me  that. 

LARRY 

Well,  what's  the  use  of  my  saying  things,  if  you  aren't 
going  to  believe  them? 

RACHEL 
There  is  no  use,  I  suppose. 

LARRY 

[After  examining  the  head  of  his  stick] 
Then  let  me  tell  you  something  that  you  can  believe, 
and  must  believe. 

[With  sincerity] 

Let  me  tell  you  that  the  rest  of  my  life  is  in  your  hands, 
at  your  command,  and  at  your  service.    All  that  I  have, 


148  THE  PORCUPINE 

all  that  I  am,  and  all  that  I  can  ever  make  of  myself,  will 
be  for  you,  and  for  him. 

[He  looks  at  the  door  of  the  child's  room] 

And  if  the  future  that  I  am  setting  before  you  now  seems 
to  you  to  be  in  the  nature  of  a  hard  lot,  I  wish  in  heaven's 
name  that  you  would  tell  me  what  sort  of  flower-show 
affair  it  is  that  you  take  this  human  life  of  ours  to  be. 
Now,  Rachel,  I'm  not  very  good  at  saying  things  when 
I'm  really  in  earnest,  but  surely  I  have  said  enough  to 
make  you  decide  for  yourself  whether  you  and  I  are  going 
to  be  wise  and  happy,  or  whether  we  are  going  to  be  silly 
and  miserable.  .  .  .  Didn't  I  tell  you  there  was  a  way 
out  of  this? 

RACHEL 

[Looking  towards  the  window] 
When  you  said  that,  you  were  thinking  of  that  woman. 

LARRY 
I  was  thinking  more  of  you. 

RACHEL 

I  know  what  you  mean,  Larry,  but  you  must  listen.  .  .  . 
Listen  to  me,  Larry;  and  try  to  remember — sometimes — 
how  much  I  have  loved  you,  all  these  years.  You  will 
never  know  how  much,  but  you  will  remember  me — some 
times.  Not  so  often  as  you  think  you  will,  but  you  will 
remember  me,  for  you  must.  .  .  . 

LARRY 

[With  kind  irony] 
And  you  are  sure  that  I  must  listen  to  you? 


THE  PORCUPINE  149 

RACHEL 

[With  less  conviction  as  she  goes  along] 
You  tell  me  there  is  a  way  out  of  this,  and  I  know  that 
you  believe  what  you  are  saying.  And  I  know  too  well 
that  I  have  not  made  Rollo  happy.  ...  But  I  married 
him;  and  marriages  are  made,  for  better  or  for  worse,  be 
fore  God.  .  .  . 

[Her  voice  breaks,  with  a  note  of  almost  indignant  protest.  She 
sinks  into  the  chair  again,  and  covers  her  face  with  her 
hands. 

LARRY 

[Looking  down  at  her] 

They  may  be  sometimes,  but  I  know  of  several  that 
must  have  been  made  when  He  wasn't  looking. 
[He  puts  his  hand  to  his  chin  and  continues  to  watch  her.    She 
does  not  look  up  at  him  until  the  child  calls] 

VOICE  OF  THE  CHILD 

Uncle  Larry!    Uncle  Larry! 

LARRY 

[With  an  eager  change  of  manner] 

There!  Do  you  hear  that?  He  knows  all  about  it — 
all  about  your  false  reasoning,  and  your  self-tormenting 
superstition. 

[Rapidly] 

Don't  you  know  what  he  wants?    He  wants  me.    He  wants 

me  to  riddle  to  him,  and  he  doesn't  want  a  dead  march 

either. 

[Putting  his  hands  on  RACHEL'S  shoulders  and  shaking  her  gently] 

The  wise  little  beggar! 


150  THE  PORCUPINE 

RACHEL 

[Painfully] 
Yes,  Larry,  it  is  you  that  he  wants. 

LARRY 

He  wants  me,  and  he  wants  you. 

RACHEL 

[Touching  her  eyes  with  her  handkerchief] 
He  doesn't  seem  to — know  me — very  well. 

LARRY 

[Patting  her  shoulders] 

Rachel,  what  do  you  think  you  are  talking  about? 

RACHEL 

[Getting  up  and  looking  into  his  face] 

Don't    you    see    that   I   am   alone? — alone?  ...     O 
Larry!  .  .  .    Larry!  .  .  . 

LARRY 

You  will  never  be  alone  again  while  I  am  alive. 

[He  leans  forward  and  touches  her  forehead  with  his  lips.  She 
draws  away  from  him  slowly,  as  if  half  afraid,  and  looks 
into  his  eyes.  Then  she  looks  at  the  floor.  He  watches  her 
and  smiles  very  kindly. 

VOICE  OF  THE  CHILD 

Uncle  Larry!    Uncle  Larry! 


THE  PORCUPINE  151 

RACHEL 

There! — go!  ...    He  wants  you. 
[She  covers  her  eyes  with  her  hands  and  her  body  trembles] 
Go— go — go! 

LARRY 

[Tapping  her  arm  lightly  with  his  stick  and  laughing 

All  right,— I'll  go.    And  you  stay  here. 

\With  mock  warning 
Be  sure  you  don't  run  away. 

[He  takes  a  few  steps  to  the  left,  and  RACHEL  holds  out  her  hands 
towards  him] 

RACHEL 

[Choking] 
Wait,  Larry!— Wait! 

LARRY 

[Stopping  and  turning  about] 

Why— what's  the  matter  now? 

RACHEL 

[Bewildered  and  helpless] 
Nothing.  .  .  .  Nothing. 

[With  assumed  strength] 
Go — go !  He  wants  you. 

LARRY 

[Greatly  troubled,  but  forcing  a  laugh] 
Yes  .  .  .  and  I'm  going. 


152  THE  PORCUPINE 

VOICE  OF  THE  CHILD 

[Within] 
Uncle  Larry! 

LARRY 

[Looking  back  and  smiling 
Do  you  hear  him? 

[He  takes  a  few  steps  backward,  still  looking  at  her] 

Now  be  sure  that  you  stay  where  you  are  till  I  come  back. 

[He  shakes  his  finger  at  her,  repeating  his  admonition  once  or 
twice  silently  on  his  way  to  the  door,  and  disappears  into 
the  child's  room,  leaving  the  door  ajar.  In  a  few  moments 
he  begins  to  play  "Roy's  Wife  of  Aldivalloch"  with  a  great 
deal  of  spirit,  while  RACHEL  stands  gazing  at  the  door.  Pres 
ently  she  begins  to  move  slowly  to  the  bookcase,  stopping  at 
times,  but  always  drawn  on  again  as  if  by  a  mysterious  and 
irresistible  force.  She  takes  the  vial  from  behind  the  books, 
returns  to  the  table,  and,  after  a  long  pause,  drinks  the  con 
tents,  shivering  as  the  music  becomes  more  spirited.  Then 
she  begins  to  move  slowly  towards  the  door  of  the  child's  room, 
still  drawn  as  if  by  a  power  outside  herself.  She  reaches  out 
with  her  arms  and  whispers  LARRY'S  name.  LARRY,  within, 
plays  faster  and  faster,  while  the  curtain  falls  slowly] 

CURTAIN 


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Cloth,  i2mo,  $1.25 

This  powerful  play  by  one  of  the  most  prominent  of  the 
modern  school  of  dramatists  should  be  read  by  all  who 
desire  to  keep  pace  with  the  spirit  and  tendencies  of 
present-day  art  and  literature  in  Russia.  For  here  is 
truly  displayed  Andreyev's  genius  in  the  most  character 
istic  manner.  The  Life  of  Man  has  been  translated  by 
J.  G.  Hogarth. 

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Publishers      64-66  Fifth  Avenue     New  York 


Anathema 

A  Play  by  LEONID  ANDREYEV;  translated  by  Herman  Bernstein 

Decorated  cloth,  I2mo,  $1.25 

This  play — a  powerful  and  original  example  of  the  best  in  the  liter 
ature  of  to-day — is  in  reality  a  large  allegory  dealing  with  human 
misery  in  its  broadest  aspects.  Anathema,  the  leading  character, 
typifies  the  spirit  of  reasoning,  of  revolt,  and  sometimes  Satan — the 
spirit,  that  is,  which  questions  the  inscrutable.  The  drama  is  the 
work  of  a  brilliant  young  Russian  author,  already  known  to  the 
American  public  through  a  translation  of  his  story,  The  Seven  Who 
Were  Hanged. 

"Has  great  significance  and  is  indisputably  a  work  of  .  .  .  genius." 

— New  York  Evening  Post. 

"The  play  is  a  perfect  mine  of  ideas,  that  crave  a  deep  and  thought 
ful  digestion." — San  Francisco  Chronicle. 

"A  monumental  allegory  of  good  and  evil,  richly  humanitarian,  and 
of  large  and  noble  implications  in  its  philosophy." — The  Dial. 

"Of  Mr.  Bernstein's  work  as  translator  it  must  be  said  that  he  has 
accomplished  a  difficult  task  with  praiseworthy  success." — New  York 
Times. 


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Publishers       64-66  Fifth  Avenue     New  York 


NEW    MACMILLAN    PLAYS 

Children  of  Earth 

By  ALICE  BROWN,  Author  of  "My  Love  and  I,"  etc. 

Cloth,  i2mo,  $1.25 

This  is  the  ten  thousand  dollar  American  prize  play.  From  thou 
sands  of  manuscripts  submitted  to  Mr.  Ames  of  the  Little  Theatre, 
Miss  Brown's  was  chosen  as  being  the  most  notable,  both  in  theme 
and  characterization.  Miss  Brown  has  a  large  following  as  novelist 
and  short  story  writer,  and  her  play  exhibits  those  rare  qualities 
of  writing  and  those  keen  analyses  of  human  motives  which  have  given 
her  eminence  in  other  forms  of  literature. 

"A  page  from  the  truly  native  life  of  the  nation,  magnificently 
written." — New  York  Tribune. 

"Ranks  with  the  best  achievements  of  the  American  theatre." — 
Boston  Transcript. 


The  Faithful 


By  JOHN  MASEFIELD,  Author  of  "The  Tragedy  of  Pompey  the 
Great,"  "Philip  the  King,"  etc. 

Cloth,  I2mo 

Mr.  Masefield's  contributions  to  dramatic  literature  are  held  in 
quite  as  high  esteem  by  his  admirers  as  his  narrative  poems.  In  The 
Faithful,  his  new  play,  he  is  at  his  best.  It  is  described  as  a  powerful 
piece  of  writing,  vivid  in  characterization  and  gripping  in  theme. 


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Publishers        64-66  Fifth  Avenue        New  York 


A  LIST  OF  PLAYS 

Leonid  Andreyev's  Anathema $i .  25 

Sorrows  of  Belgium 1.25 

The  Life  of  Man i .  25 

Alice  Brown's  Children  of  Earth  (Prize  Play) i .  25 

Thomas  Hardy's  The  Dynasts.    3  Parts.    Each 1.50 

Hermann  Hagedorn's  Makers  of  Madness i.oo 

Henry  Arthur  Jones's 

Whitewashing  of  Julia 75 

Saints  and  Sinners 75 

The  Crusaders 75 

Michael  and  His  Lost  Angel 75 

Jack  London's  Scorn  of  Women 


Theft 


Mackaye's  Jean  D'Arc 
Sappho  and  Phaon 


Fenris  the  Wolf 
Mater 


Canterbury  Pilgrims 
The  Scarecrow  .  . 
A  Garland  to  Sylvia 


John  Masefleld's  The  Tragedy  of  Pompey 


Philip,  the  King  . 


The  Faithful  (Preparing) 
William  Vaughn  Moody's 


The  Faith  Healer 


Stephen  Phillips'  Ulysses. 


The  Sin  of  David 
Nero      .    .    . 
Pietro  of  Siena 


Phillips  and  Carr.    Faust .    . 
Edward  Sheldon's  The  Nigger 


Romance 

The  Garden  of  Paradise 


Katrina  Trask's  In  the  Vanguard   .     . 
Rabindranath  Tagore's  The  Post  Office 


Chitra 

The  King  of  the  Dark  Chamber 


Robinson.  Edward  A.    Van  Zora 


The  Porcupine 
Sarah  King  Wiley's  Coming  of  Philibert 


Alcestis 


Yeats's  Poems  and  Plays,  Vol.  II,  Revised  Edition 


Hour  Glass  (and  others) 

The  Green  Helmet  and  Other  Poems 


Yeats's  and  Lady  Gregory's  Unicorn  from  the  Stars 
Israel  Zangwill's  The  Melting  Pot.    New  Edition     , 


The  War  God 
The  Next  Religion 
Plaster  Saints.    . 


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Publishers     64-66  Fifth  Avenue     New  York 


•  25 

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BERKELEY 

Return  to  desk  from  which  borrowed. 
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AUG  18  1953 


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3435S3 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


